Blood Money
by ALittleLion
Summary: AU: Ashley Davies was born with poison in her veins and darkness in her heart. Spencer Carlin has been living lie after lie, never content with her "good girl" appearance and "happy family." Spencer has a taste for danger, and Ashley can't stay away.
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

**Hello, everyone. I started writing this story back in 2007, and posted it on the Spashley Invision Boards. Since then, I have done many things with my life. I've changed, life has changed me, and things go on. However, to date, this piece is one I am proudest of, and not just because of the content. To date, this story is the longest I have written, one of the best I've completed, and is something I consider to be my masterpiece. Only two characters in this story are mine, but the ones you know (Ashley, Aiden, Spencer, etc) belong to Tom Lynch, and the people who wrote them in the way we know. That being said, these are not the character you know from the show. This is a DARK story, and deals with heavy elements such as torture, crime, violence, and the like. It also has two main same-sex pairings, so if any of that bothers you, please turn back now. If not, then I hope you enjoy. If you've read this before, you are welcome to read it again. If you are a new reader, welcome, and I hope you enjoy the ride.  
><strong>

**Chapter One:**

Sunset.

The rain pounded in a rhythmic pattern all over the gritty backstreets of Los Angeles. As soon as the first drop hit the pavement, homeless people and prostitutes were cursing Gods they didn't believe in for sending them this hellish waterfall, slight though it was. Some people like the rain, they call it "calming" and "peaceful."

For Ashley Davies, it was bad for business.

"What do you mean you don't have the money? This might be a fix for you, but to me, it's a living. You don't fuck with people when they're trying to make a living," a voice sounded from behind the corner of an alley.

Two bodies were pressed into a tight crevice – one was a short, delicately built brunette with long limbs, dark chocolate brown eyes, and a cheeky smile, and the other was a taller boy with matted black hair that felt sharply over his piercing blue eyes. Despite their height difference and his clear advantage over the girl due to his muscle mass, he was shaking. Partially from fear, and partially from the lack of drugs surging through his bloodstream. The girl would use both factors to her advantage.

"I'm sorry, okay? I got fired from work this week. Boss finally caught me shooting on the job," the boy piped up, his voice matching his body – shaky.

"Then that just makes you fucking stupid, Aiden. You don't get caught shooting up, and you don't get fired. That means your paycheck no longer gets transported to my bank account, and that makes me VERY unhappy," the brunette responded, her voice still slightly gentle in tone, but harsh. The boy glanced down to the pavement, unable to meet the brunette's gaze before shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"B-but we're friends, Ash..." the boy said, his back hunched from the pain that was shooting through him. Withdrawal was dreadful even for the strongest of bodies.

"No, Aiden. Our friendship doesn't stand the test of time when you don't fucking give me my money. Now, usually you've been pretty good about paying up, because I don't give you advance orders. It's usually a fair trade, and I only gave you the shit without payment first because you looked like you were about to die without it. It's been a week, and you still owe me 500 even, Dennison. That's not a very friendly thing to do, now is it?" Ashley said powerfully, taking a step closer to the boy, causing his lumbering frame to press against the grimy wall.

"N-not friendly at a-all, A-Ashley," the boy stuttered, his eyes wild with fear. Of all the dealers on the street, Ashley Davies was the worst.

She wasn't above disposing of her clientele if they stopped meeting payment, and she definitely wasn't someone to mess around with. Messing with Ashley Davies was one of the quickest ways to find yourself in a body bag. On rainy days like this, they'd never find your body, and the evidence would simply wash away. You'd be nothing but a memory and cautionary tale to her next customer.

"So, when can I expect my money, Aiden?" Ashley said, tapping her foot in a shallow puddle that had pooled just a few feet from where they were standing and soaking the bottom of Aiden's filthy jeans. He mustered up his courage and searched for the right answer, raising his eyes to hers and taking a deep breath.

"A week. Give me a week, Ashley," Aiden said, hoping that this wouldn't be too much of an insult to the girl.

She lowered her eyes, as if in thought and tucked her thumbs into the side pocket of her leather jacket. Her slightly damp brown curls fell over her shoulders as her head tilted down, and she didn't say a word in response. Aiden felt his chest tighten, delaying the sense of relief he hoped would come once she told him that he was in the clear.

"You've already had a week, Dennison. My patience wears thin. You know that..." Ashley said softly, her words barely a whisper and hardly audible over the rainfall, the pattering of water meeting pavement much louder now as the storm worsened. Aiden shivered slightly, but not from the cold. The intonation in her voice let him know that he might not leave this alley. He'd heard it before.

Two months ago, his best friend Glen had been in a situation with the girl. He had racked up quite a debt, and she had given him three days to take care of his fee. Aiden and Glen were both regular customers of Ashley's, and when the girl had given Glen his time-frame for payment, he had rushed to Aiden for help. The boy had been between jobs at the time, and Aiden couldn't have helped feeling sorry for him.

_"I have $500 already, Aiden. Just...match that, please? That gives me a grand, and I'm sure I could hit my sister and brother up for a little more. I'll tell them that I'm buying a car or something and need money for a down payment. They both have good jobs, strong jobs – they'll be able to give me a little bit. A grand a piece is what I'm hoping for," Glen told him on that dismal day in the apartment that they shared._

_"How much do you owe her?" Aiden asked him, trying to go over his finances in his head. He needed his money for the same thing that Glen did other than rent and food – heroin. The good stuff that Ashley seemed to get for dirt cheap and resell for sky-high rates._

_That's how she could afford her cozy house in West Hollywood. Five hundred dollars for one dosage of the stuff, which usually filled only two syringes. Three if you were good at rationing the stuff._

_"Three grand, Aiden," Glen said, his voice clouded over with shame._

_"Jesus fucking Christ, Glen! How the fuck are you supposed to get that shit in three fucking days?" Aiden said as he stormed around the apartment, feeling a twinge of fear from his friend._

_"I don't know, man. If you give me some and Spencer and Clay pitch in I should be fine. If not, I guess I hit the streets and hope to make a little money selling myself. Hopefully some lady will be willing to pay for my services," Glen said, crossing his arms as he leaned against a nearby wall, a chunk of plaster falling from it at his slight contact and onto their stained shag carpeting._

_"It doesn't matter how I get it, Aiden. All I know is that she means business, man. I've already had a week, and she doesn't give fucking handouts. That bitch will kill me without thinking twice if I don't pay up by deadline."_

_"She won't kill you, Glen. She'll just probably get some of her cronies to beat the hell out of you," Aiden said with an exasperated tone, one of his large hands moving to his face and rubbing the dark stubble on his cheek._

_"Like that's not bad enough?" Glen said, moving away from the wall and sitting on the floor, uncapping a beer bottle that was lukewarm from sitting out of the fridge for at least two hours and taking a drink before spitting it out onto the grimy carpeting. "Skunked."_

_"I don't have the money, Glen..."_

"I don't have the money, Ashley," Aiden said, his words from before coming back to haunt him now as he was staring into the brunette's hollow eyes. He wondered for a brief moment if they had ever contained warmth or emotion. If she had ever known the touch or love of another that was more than the occasional fuck from a whore she picked up and took in for the night.

Two months ago, this woman had killed his best friend. Slit his throat in a filthy alley just like this one. It had been raining, and Aiden didn't find him until three hours after the fact, when he stepped outside for a cigarette. That alley was just outside their apartment.

He could have turned her into the cops, but the fact that his hands had been all over Glen's body when he found him would make the dark-haired boy look as guilty as sin.

Any jury would put the knife in his hands, because Ashley Davies was a ghost to everyone but her customers. She made damn sure that she could never be brought into an equation.

"Your friend Glen didn't have the money, either, Dennison. Do I need to remind you what happened to him? Your fallen comrade," Ashley said, removing a slender switchblade from the inner pocket of her jacket that was perfectly tailored to her slim frame. Aiden's eyes watched the glimmer of the steel as she activated the razor-sharp blade. His eyes never left it.

"N-no. I'll get the money," Aiden said, swallowing the lump in his throat. She put away the blade and smiled kindly at him, her eyes dancing with delight.

"Good boy, Dennison," she said, all traces of anger gone for the moment. It was almost comical how she could switch back and forth from predator to a girl you might meet on a swing in the park on a sunny day or bump into while shopping for Ramen and Easy Mac in the supermarket.

Someone nice, and quite beautiful when she was smiling. "You have three days. We'll meet here at sunset. I'll be getting a new shipment the day before, so if you have any spare cash, I'd be more than happy to make you another deal."

"I'll see you in three days, Ashley," Aiden said calmly, although he felt that his bladder could give way any moment from that sickening smile she was giving him. She nodded and walked out into the rain.

He pressed his back against the wall and closed his eyes, waiting for her to change her mind, return, and kill him. A few minutes after that, he heard a car engine start and tires squeal away. She was gone.

He put his hood up and walked down the alley to a phone booth just around the corner. He searched his pockets for a good ten minutes until he found two quarters to make a call. He called the first number that popped into his head – the only one that would be of any help to him now. Two rings. Three rings. Then a voice answered with a cheerful "hello."

The boy was so excited, he didn't know how to start in with his problems. He didn't even know how much time 50 cents would buy him with his friend, but time was definitely a factor. He decided that overkill would be a little too much, so simplicity was key.

"Spencer, I'm in trouble. I need your help. Can you meet me somewhere?"


	2. Chapter Two

Aiden hated walking in the rain, but for some reason when every drop hit his jacket and soaked him on this night – he felt glad to be alive. He had never been much for appreciating life. He squandered all his money away on drugs and gambled with his life.

He was unemployed and woke up most mornings feeling worthless.

Not to mention, he hadn't gotten laid in at least seven months because he couldn't afford the cover charge to get into the clubs where all the girls tended to be. Street corners and supermarkets weren't exactly prime locations for meeting girls, in his opinion. Those were the only places he could afford to go nowadays, and even his trips to the supermarket were lessening.

Ramen went up 12 cents last week; too rich for his blood.

As he walked the last two blocks to the diner where he was supposed to meet Spencer, he realized that his wearing a hood was completely pointless as the rain had soaked through the thin cotton and was starting to drench his shaggy hair.

If only he could afford to splurge and spend five bucks on an umbrella – then he'd be set for life. His hand pressed the button on the crosswalk and he waited for the signal.

A woman and her young son stood beside him, and the little boy jumped into a nearby puddle, soaking his jeans up to the knees. He couldn't have been any older than five, and Aiden smiled. When he was that age, he loved the rain and puddles, too. Ever since Glen died, rainstorms and gray skies only equated death for the ex-athlete.

The little boy looked up at Aiden and waved shyly, his dark brown eyes finding the core of Aiden's morality, though it was scarce and sparked a smile from the junkie in response. The mother quickly caught sight of his harmless exchange and pulled her son a little closer. She was a pretty girl, probably only 25 or 26 – Aiden's age.

Her green eyes searched his blue ones with an obvious sign of disgust as she took in his unshaven face, wild eyes, and tattered, dirty clothing.

"Joey, come to mommy," the girl said gently, keeping her son pressed even closer to her side – she was afraid. The girl tucked a strand of her wavy, rain-soaked red hair behind her left ear as she kept her eyes forward, on the signal. The little boy continued to tap his foot in the puddle, showing off his youthful spunk and rebellious attitude that most toddlers develop.

Aiden shoved his hands deep into his front pockets, back hunched forward as he tried to keep the rain from falling in his eyes.

It was pounding harder now, and slightly sideways – vision was becoming difficult, especially when you wanted to look straight ahead. He looked up for a moment and saw the signal change to "walk," and the lady and her child took off in the crosswalk. Aiden sauntered behind, his long strides making it easy to catch up, even though he wasn't trying to.

The women turned to him and spat in his face, using her hostility as a makeshift defense mechanism.

"Scumbag," she muttered before racing around the corner, her child in tow, his eyes glancing as he hummed a jaunty tune about how he liked to play in puddles. Her words didn't register. He was used to the rudest things imaginable, and after a while, he developed a second skin. A thicker skin. The rudeness of his fellow man didn't matter. He was alive.

Aiden felt the rainwater soak into his socks that were already covered with holes, causing walking these last few steps to be completely uncomfortable for him.

"At least Spencer agreed to meet you," Aiden thought to himself as he put his hand on the door to the diner. He pulled off his hood and ran a hand through his scruffy black locks that had started to show their natural wave due to being wet as his eyes scanned the tables for that familiar head of blonde hair. Spencer Carlin – Glen's baby sister.

"She didn't have to help you at all – worthless junkie," his thoughts continued, "and what will she think when she hears your plan? She's _happy _now, Aiden. She has a life, unlike you. She'll probably just hit you, walk out, and leave you to die in three days."

Death. That's what everyone's life built up to – that eventual end. He had hoped to die in a blaze of glory when he was young and naive. When he graduated high school, his original plan had been to go to college and play basketball, on a scholarship that he was certain to get.

When his plan fell through due to a knee injury in a tragic bungee jumping accident, he weighed his other options. He had considered going to college anyway and finding a new field of study.

He had always been a decent student, and would probably have no problems. Only with money, but he could easily get a job. A clean-cut, wholesome young kid fresh out of high school who was able-bodied and capable of doing most jobs would easily be hired, right?

Wrong.

Aiden had tried that. Exhausted his options, even. He even considered going into the military before realizing that fighting a war for George Bush was a ridiculous idea. He had taken his temperature three times after that thought crossed his mind and came to the conclusion that thermometers lie and he must have been running a fever high enough to warp his brain.

Fighting for Bush was _not_ an option.

The choice he did make, however, wasn't much better. It was the typical after high school scenario: boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Boy dates girl, and so on. However, this situation ended in the college nightmare. The girl got pregnant. They were twenty, and his daughter was now six years old.

That girl was Spencer Carlin.

Through her, Aiden had met her brother, Glen and moved into an apartment with him. Glen had been a hardcore druggie ever since he was deployed from his service in Iraq, and he ended up pulling Aiden down into the dark spiral of drugs and blood money with him.

Spencer decided that because of this, she wanted nothing to do with Aiden, and he didn't fight her. He didn't want to raise their kid, anyway, because he never meant to create it.

Also, he understood the negative effects that his being a junkie would have on their child, and wasn't willing to quit. The effects of withdrawal were too much for him. This would later become one of the worst mistakes he had ever made. Especially now that he was coming to her for help. Begging for it, really. He knew she wouldn't like what he was going to tell her.

They had only started speaking again after Glen's death, so a lot of wounds were still open and raw. She had informed him that he still was not to be a part of their daughter's life.

Erin had just started Kindergarten, and although she had met her "Uncle Aiden" once or twice, he had never been around her enough to know more than that she was happy and healthy. Beautiful, too – just like her mother. After the birth of her daughter, Spencer had decided to become a preschool teacher and music teacher, working constantly with little kids. She taught piano, and worked at a daycare/preschool center. She made a good living.

Good enough to keep a nice house in the city for her family. A family that included Spencer's girlfriend of two years, Brooke. Aiden had always known that Spencer preferred girls to guys, which had made it all the more shocking to him when their brief, though intense relationship took its course for a seven month period.

They stopped dating after Spencer found out she was pregnant and Aiden started shooting up like her brother. Before, it had just been cocaine and pot on occasion, but nothing severe.

Spencer had seen Aiden turning into her brother, and although she loved Glen, she knew the effects of his habits, and didn't want her baby to be near it or him. Although she was young and could have probably had a more solid life without a child, she didn't believe in abortion and wanted to keep the baby.

Aiden didn't even push for her to do otherwise, because for some reason the idea of bringing a new life into a world that she had always seen as "dark and depressing" elated her. Who has he to deny that girl of any happiness?

Finally, his eyes rested on her long, corn silk blonde hair. Her back was turned to him, and he started advancing to the booth by the window where she sat. She was sipping a coffee and munching on a cheeseburger, her blue eyes staring off into the nothingness before her, almost as if she was in a trance.

A robot that had been commanded to eat, but nothing more.

The boy removed his hands from his pocket and stood slightly off to the side of the table, within her peripheral vision and waiting for an invitation to sit down or acknowledgment. Aiden felt that speaking a complete sentence would disturb her and perhaps infuriate her, so he settled with clearing his throat.

"I'm not going to kill you if you sit down, Aiden. I'd prefer it," Spencer responded before he finished making the abrupt noise. He sighed – she knew him so well. The boy swallowed the lump in his throat that devised the plan he was about to share with Spencer. But first, he knew he had to start simply. You couldn't just drop a bomb on a girl and expect her to react positively. Such things were unheard of.

Aiden sat down in the booth and leaned his back against the cushion. He didn't look into Spencer's eyes, out of fear from what he might see. Ever since her brother died, she had been completely different. Cold. Aiden found that he couldn't look at her anymore without feeling a miserable chill.

It drove him insane because there was a time in his life when he could have comforted the blonde – brought that smile back to her gorgeous face. But now, there was constant cold, especially toward him. He knew that he couldn't scorn her too much for her icy nature, however, because he had taken a part in it. He, Glen, and Ashley were the guilty parties in the destruction of this gorgeous girl.

"How's Erin?" Aiden asked, treading lightly. He knew that this wasn't the worst thing he could say to Spencer – far from it. It was still a dangerous topic for them, but not even close to his plan for her, or when he told her about Glen's death. He had been the one to deliver the news, and when he spoke to her about it at the time, he was starting in on withdrawal.

After Glen was murdered, Aiden had wanted to come clean, but that didn't work at all. Spencer called him a worthless junkie, and he made up a lie about Glen being murdered by a rival gang over drugs and territory. This was meant to soften the blow – the effect it had, however, was not so good. Probably not as terrible as the truth, but not at all positive.

"She's fine. Brooke's looking after her at home. They get along really well," Spencer said, taking a sip of her coffee, the smell of the freshly brewed beans traveling through Aiden and sending a chill up his spine. It had been a week since he'd eaten or drank anything other than mostly skunked beer and Top Ramen.

"How are you and Brooke?" Aiden asked, forgetting his words for a moment as he processed the thought of food.

"We're together," Spencer said sharply. Obviously, she was not happy with the girl. Aiden knew this for a fact from Glen's stories of how Spencer ranted and raved about her.

Glen and Spencer were usually pretty close, though they rarely ever visited in person. She didn't want to see her brother physically destroyed from the drugs or suffering from withdrawals. Over the phone, she could pretend that those details didn't exist.

Evidently, Brooke was a sweet girl, but entirely too distant. Their relationship, though it had been going "strong" for just about two years, was severely lacking in passion. Brooke looked after Spencer and Erin, brought a strong income to their home, and was another parent for their child, but nothing more. She was nothing that Spencer could hold onto at night, no guiding force or strength.

Glen even said that their sex life had gone completely cold.

Aiden could sympathize with that.

"Do you think...maybe sometime I could take you and Erin out to the park? I'd just like to see her. I don't even have to talk to her. Just – come to the park sometime and tell me when you're going to be there," Aiden said, watching the blonde's facial expressions carefully. She looked amused. Perhaps this was a good sign.

Perhaps she found him pathetic.

"You can see her when you're clean, Aiden. Order something to eat," Spencer said, flagging down a waitress who came to their table. The two exchanged a glance, Aiden's silent question that it was okay for him to order a full meal. Spencer nodded. No dialogue was passed between their lips until after the waitress left. Spencer just sat across from him, calmly sipping her coffee as if silence was completely normal between them. Sadly – it was.

Aiden ordered a giant cheeseburger and the jumbo order of fries, with a large soft drink. He knew that the portions at this diner were quite large. He had watched the patrons eat here several times through the window in the back. He liked imagining that it was him eating instead of them sometimes.

It helped him feel less hungry.

The waitress jotted down his order, looked to Spencer for her to speak. When the blonde didn't acknowledge her, the young girl left without a word. She didn't even smile at Aiden. She probably felt sorry for Spencer – giving a poor street junkie a good meal and light conversation so he wouldn't go insane. Aiden didn't blame the girl for feeling that way. Even he felt sorry for Spencer.

"Don't bother saying thank you, either. You look like you haven't eaten in days," Spencer said, taking another bite of her cheeseburger.

"I haven't," Aiden said plainly, staring longingly at the cheeseburger as if it were a gorgeous girl offering herself to him. He could feel his mouth begin to water before bringing his eyes up to Spencer's.

He wouldn't thank the blonde – he needed to play his cards right, and doing anything to infuriate her wouldn't serve him well.

"Why did you call me, Aiden?" Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow and setting both hands down on the counter.

He blinked twice; this girl didn't mess around. Carefully, he took a few moments to collect himself before starting in on his story.

"I owe some money, Spencer. Five hundred dollars, to be exact. My dealer...well, she isn't happy with me. She gave me the shit in advance because I was having a rough time making ends meet after your brother...and it's been a week. A whole week, and she wants her payment now. I don't have the money to give it to her, you see – and she'll kill me, Spencer. She'll kill me," Aiden said, starting to hurry and jumble his words as his speech became more frantic toward the end. He didn't want to worry the blonde, but she was an integral part of his plan. There was no way he could scrounge up that money in three days, so he had to think of other options.

"She'll kill you, Aiden? Are you sure?" Spencer said, finishing off her cheeseburger in a manner that told Aiden that she didn't believe him. That his words came off to her as the delusions of a starving boy that was fucked up on heroin.

"I'm sure, Spencer. I met with her tonight, and she fucking flashed me her blade. She t-threatened me. She'll do it, too. She did it to...I mean – I've heard stories. She's done this before," Aiden said impatiently, as if his life was ticking away with every passing second. Truthfully, it was. He understood this, and once Spencer got a good look into his eyes, she did as well.

"Holy shit. You're serious, aren't you?" Spencer asked.

A rhetorical question. Aiden decided not to answer – to see what she'd say. Maybe she'd come up with a better plan, and he wouldn't even have to share his. He doubted it, but it was definitely worth listening to. Spencer always had been smart. He envied her. "Why can't you turn her into the cops? You know her name. They'll check her place out, keep tabs on her – once they get a tip, they're more than likely to catch her eventually."

"If I even think about going to the cops about her, I'm dead. She doesn't mess around, Spencer. She'll kill me and sell to a new guy the next day, without a second thought. I'll be just a bad memory and five hundred that she lost," Aiden explained. He took a few moments to take in the deep blue of the blonde's eyes. Concern. He had a chance.

"What do you want me to do about it, then, genius?" Spencer said, getting a little louder in intonation before the waitress came to the table with Aiden's food. She set the plate in front of him along with his drink, and walked away.

No sooner than she had turned her back, Aiden dug into the massive burger and started devouring it like a starving animal. Spencer looked disgusted and then started to chuckle hotly. It was one of those laughs that meant you were above someone. Aiden would normally protest, but in this case – she was right.

"She's a lesbian," Aiden said as soon as he finished the burger and wiped his lips with a brown napkin. Spencer looked at him like this was a worthless piece of trivia, and he cleared his throat to continue. "You're a lesbian now, right? So, if you want to save my life, I was thinking that you could...seduce her for three days and make her fall in love with you."

The last bit of his statement was swallowed by the speed in which it was delivered, but Spencer caught every word. She choked on her coffee for a minute and stared at the dark-haired boy incredulously.

"That would be an excellent plan, Aiden. Except one, I don't want to seduce a murderous drug dealer; two, I have a girlfriend and child; and three, I can't fall in love. I don't think I've ever really been in love. I don't know what it's like, and quite frankly, from the two relationships I've had that have either been dying for years or ended in disaster, I don't really want to know. You and Brooke are the only people I have ever given my life to. She doesn't care enough to nurture it, and you took a hand in destroying it," Spencer said coldly before finishing off her coffee and resting the mug on the table with a clunk.

The boy was surprised it didn't break.

"Then I'll try to make five hundred in three days. I don't think I'll be able to, and then she'll just...kill me. I've put some serious thought into this, Spencer – whatever you decide is okay with me. My life hasn't been much more than a corpse's lately. What difference would death make? I'm not leaving anyone behind anymore. You should do what you think is right," Aiden said, ending his argument and leaving the ball firmly in Spencer's court.

"What if your plan fails, Aiden? What if she doesn't fall in love with me, and still kills you? Or, what if her loving me makes no difference?" Spencer asked, clearly thinking this over and running through the consequences in her head. Aiden cast his eyes down as he munched on his fries.

"That's a definite possibility. But if we do nothing, it's not going to make me any less dead. At least by trying, I have a chance of survival. All I know is that she's cold, Spencer. Like she's never known love. Maybe that's why she's the way she is – because she's never had anyone to lean on. Pain and death could be her only instincts. And if you – if you can wake her up, she might have pity on someone for once. Especially if you told her about Erin," Aiden said, wincing at what he had just said.

"Don't you dare bring MY daughter into this. If this girl is as dangerous as you say, I don't want her involved. She stays out of this, Aiden," Spencer said, her voice taking on a dark tone that Aiden felt himself instantly afraid of.

"I understand. My time starts at sunrise. Can I count on you, Spencer?" Aiden asked, finishing off his food and looking for some glimmer of positive emotion in Spencer's luminous blue eyes. He saw none, but her words contradicted this.

"I'll do it," she replied before setting the payment and tip on the table and standing up, leaving the boy to finish his food. Aiden rested his head on the cold counter, and for once saw the veil of darkness lift from these dirty streets. He had tasted the first hint of redemption, and it was good.

**===============================================================================================================================  
>AN: **Since this story is complete, I will likely be posting a chapter every day, or every other day until the story is done. You won't have to wait long, but it's going to be a hell of a ride. Thanks for all the alerts and favorites! I appreciate any and all readers, and reviews are wonderful, appreciated, and fuel me like none other!


	3. Chapter Three

The rain from earlier had stopped by the time Spencer pulled her denim jacket on and walked out the door of the diner. Her nerves were rattled, but her stomach was full. Her car was parked a couple blocks away. She did that on purpose – she always had liked walking in the rain.

The blonde ran a hand through her long locks and looked over her shoulder. Walking at night was usually unsettling for her. The inner city of Los Angeles was danger's sandbox. It also wasn't too far of a drive from the middle of the city to where Spencer lived, only about 25 minutes (depending on traffic) but, despite the overwhelming negatives it carried sometimes, especially to Spencer, it was worth it. Spencer had fallen in love with the gorgeous nightlife of the big city ever since she moved to LA as a Junior in high school.

Her family uprooted them from a small town in Ohio. The town she moved from was only the size of a small suburban neighborhood outside LA – five thousand people or so. When her parents told her that they were moving, Spencer thought she would miss it, but after just a few months of the "big city living," Spencer knew that she'd never think of Ohio again except for remembering her roots. Spencer had always been a big city girl at heart.

Spencer rested her thumbs partly in her pockets as she strolled down the street. She sighed into the darkness and felt a slight shiver creep up her spine. Spencer knew she was being watched – she could feel it. But, she could always feel someone watching her when she walked these streets at night. This feeling of insecurity was nothing new.

However, she always kept up her guard.

She had decided a long time ago that it was generally better to be safe than dead.

At that thought of death, Spencer felt her mind trail off to her meeting at the diner with Aiden. He was genuinely afraid for his life. Normally, Aiden gave off this air of confidence despite all his problems. Spencer usually passed this off as a negative thing, because too much confidence was never a good thing. She was a firm believer in admitting when you have a problem and trying to get help for it instead of playing the whole "I'm so macho and manly, and even though my problems will probably kill me, I'm just going to keep my mouth shut for the sake of manhood" game.

The air was heavy on her shoulders as she walked the last block to her car. She could already see it off in the distance, and she felt elated. Her pace quickened, her torso barely keeping up to her rapidly moving lower body as she approached the light blue Mini Cooper. Her blue eyes squinted in the darkness, the side of her car illuminated only by a single streetlight that hardly let off any glow due to the fog surrounding its bulb. From where she was standing, she couldn't see any damage or graffiti. Spencer felt a relieved smile cross her full lips as she approached her car, making it to the final stretch.

She hardly saw that there was an alley just in the path of where she was walking. She also didn't see the girl rushing out of it, almost at the same walking pace as Spencer was traveling. They collided instantly, one figure meeting the other with a loud thwack. Spencer felt jarred for a moment before taking a step back to regain her balance so she wouldn't fall into a nearby puddle. She looked in front of her and saw a pretty brunette that was just slightly shorter than her adjusting her tailored leather jacket.

The girl popped the collar of her jacket and ran her hand through long auburn curls that were glistening in the dim streetlight from raindrop remnants. Her eyeliner was slightly smudged, but still accented her deep brown eyes that were so dark, they appeared black in scant lighting. Spencer's breath caught in her throat as she subtly looked over the shorter girl's lithe, but toned body.

That gorgeous black leather jacket that covered a black tank top that showed the slightest bit of cleavage and rose high enough to show off a defined stomach. Spencer's blue eyes passed over the girl's slim thighs and tight, rain-splattered jeans all the way down to a scuffed pair of combat boots. Steel-toed. This girl was a bad-ass.

"Watch where you're going, blondie. Don't wanna fuck with the wrong person on nights like these," the girl said, her voice rough and commanding despite its ragged edge. Sharp, like a steel knife. Spencer figured that the girl was probably a smoker due to the intonation in her voice and the scent wafting off of her clothes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to completely collide into you. I was just eager to get to my car. I don't like walking on these streets at night," Spencer admitted. The girl seemed nice enough, despite her harsh tone and mildly threatening stance.

"The Cooper's yours?" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow and looking over to the car that Spencer was looking at. An '06 light blue Mini Cooper – the only one on that particular side of the street.

"Yeah," Spencer said softly. For some reason, the girl had an air about her that made Spencer want to stand closer and run away all at the same time.

"Surprised it didn't get jacked. But I'd check your gas tank when you get over there. Prices that gas have risen to these days, siphoning is a big hit with the local rejects," the girl replied, looking Spencer in the eyes and managing a knee-weakening half-smile. Spencer felt lightheaded and put both of her hands on her hips to steady herself and keep from swaying. Was this girl flirting with her?

"Gas siphoning? Please. Like anyone would siphon a full tank of gas..." Spencer said in response to the girl's smile, not wanting to seem too obvious. She walked toward her car, and to her surprise and slight discomfort, the brunette followed. "I just filled it up this morning, anyway. What kind of luck would that be?"

The brunette snickered and leaned on the hood of the perfectly polished car. She looked at the gorgeous blonde and let her eyes wander over her curves for a second before giving herself a mental smack for being perverted. If she played her cards right, the blonde could end up in bed with her by the end of the night. She was good with charming women out of their pants – among other things.

"You'd be surprised, blondie," the brunette mumbled before tapping her long, lacquered black nails on the hood absently. She earned an intense glare for this, and felt slightly impressed – it could rival her own.

"Don't fucking dent my car with those nails of yours! I mean, I know I did you a great fuckin' disservice by colliding into you, but this is really no way to repay me. I love that car, and it cost me a small fortune," Spencer said, scolding the brunette slightly like she would a preschooler or her own child, minus the colorful language.

The brunette responded to Spencer's tone with an elaborate eye roll and throaty chuckle. Spencer could feel the chill run down her spine from the brunette's attitude and tone that just reeked of bad-ass. Spencer furrowed her brow as the brunette mimed running her cat-like nails down the paint of Spencer's immaculate car, and Spencer crossed her arms. "Are you trying to piss me off? Because I don't even know you. I didn't mean to run into you, and – I'm sorry. Can you go mind your own business now?"

"Nah, blondie. I figure I'm gonna stay around just a bit longer so I can see your sweet ass freak the fuck out when you find that some nasty shit's happened to this fine car of yours," the brunette drawled, taking a cigarette out of her jacket pocket along with a silver Zippo lighter and lighting up, purposely blowing the smoke in Spencer's direction. "Are you going to bitch at me for second-handing you?"

Spencer walked over to the girl and pressed her up against the car, breathing in the scent of the brunette's heady perfume and the new tobacco scent that wedged itself tighter into the fabric of the brunette's clothes. The girl's eyes went wide and she stared into the deep blue orbs in front of her, not quite sure how to respond. She rested the cigarette between her full lips and arched an eyebrow at the blonde, her hands tucking the lighter carefully back into her jacket pocket. Right when she was about to grab the cigarette, she found that it had been snatched out of her lips.

"Hey, bitch! That's mine. Don't be a cunt," the brunette said to the blonde, thinking that she was going to put out a perfectly good cigarette just to prove a point. However, Spencer surprised her by bringing the end of it to her lips and taking a long drag, blowing the smoke directly into the brunette's eyes and face before taking a step back, keeping the cigarette with her.

"You're not the only bad-ass in this city," Spencer said with a low chuckle as she let the smoke fill her mouth, another long drag from the menthol cigarette soothing her otherwise tense body.

"And I'm sure the Suburban paradise you come from is completely intimidated by you, love. I personally don't give a shit," the girl responded hotly, venom adding flavor to her words as she stared over at the blonde who had gone around to the other side of the car where her gas tank was. "By the way, blondie – you might not wanna be smoking around where some junkies probably emptied your tank. You might go up in flames."

"And you'd probably enjoy it. That's what I'm here for – to bring a smile to that pretty fucking face," Spencer said, looking around the tank for any traces of gasoline on the light colored pavement. She brought her hand up and barely touched the gas cap before it fell off and let out a loud strain of profanities.

"Do you drive with your gas cap unscrewed, blondie? Because that's really not a safe thing to do," the brunette taunted when Spencer confirmed her suspicions.

"You're cute. Now how am I supposed to fucking get home? I'll have to call a tow, and then those loons with the giant fucking trucks will probably scratch my car..." Spencer said before taking a hard puff on the cigarette that was slowly burning up, almost gone now. The blonde leaned back against the car and closed her eyes, obviously too pissed off to do anything else. A slow smile crossed the brunette's face.

"I could give you a ride," the girl piped up, "I mean – unless you'd rather walk or take a taxi. But, I know these streets, and it's really not safe to walk. And as far as taxis are concerned, the drivers really don't know what the fuck they're doing. You could die."

"And lead you to my house? I don't think so," Spencer said before tossing the cigarette butt on the ground away from where there might be gasoline splatters.

"Please, darlin'. I'm not an axe murderer. I just like helping out a pretty girl when she's in need. I'm good at giving rides," the brunette said with a slow smile and another wink. Spencer couldn't fight the blush that sprang to her cheeks and instantly regretted it. This was the reaction that the shorter girl was hoping for. Game over.

"Okay, so let's say that hypothetically, I did let you drive me home. Then what? How the fuck am I supposed to get my car home? I can't very well leave it here overnight," Spencer said, her voice retaining the slight calmness that she was accustomed to speaking with. But she also knew that this fake reserve was mostly bullshit.

"We could stop by my place. West Hollywood. I have a gas can there. I always keep a spare around in case this shit happens, but I'm usually smart and travel with mine. I forgot it on this trip. But, since I know the neighborhood, I know where to park my car so it won't be seen and messed with. I'll get it, bring it and you back in one piece, and give your 'baby' enough juice to get your fine ass home," the girl explained, over the top of the car so she could look at the blonde.

"I'm going to be later than I wanted getting home. But, I suppose your idea would get me home quicker than calling AAA and waiting for a tow. Not to mention all the bullshit I'd have to go through with them to fill up my car, and then I'd probably have to file a fuckin' police report. All right – I'll go with you. But if you try any funny shit, I'll mace you," Spencer threatened.

"Fair enough. Shall we?" the brunette offered before holding her hand out to the blonde.

"I don't even know your name," Spencer said to the girl. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know this stranger's name, but she would be completely lying to herself if she said she wasn't intrigued. There was something about this girl that was completely desirable and toxic all at the same time. But, Spencer had always had a penchant for the baddies.

"Ashley. Ashley Davies," Ashley said, keeping her hand extended to the blonde.

"I'm Spencer. Carlin. Spencer Carlin," Spencer said, finding her words. "Thank you for giving me a ride, Ashley."

"Oh, believe me when I say it's no trouble, Spencer," Ashley said with a lascivious tone to her naturally husky voice. Spencer rolled her eyes playfully and took the brunette's hand. Her fingers were cold, but the rest of her hand was warm. Soothing. Spencer marveled at the sparks that this basic contact sent through her spine, and then tried to convince herself that it was just a friendly gesture. Though she had no idea why the girl would want to be friendly to her after the conversation they had.

It was all very hard to grasp for Spencer, but no matter how she tried to take her mind away from the fact that this beautiful brunette – Ashley, was holding her hand, it didn't stop the tingles.

Ashley led Spencer around a dark corner of an alley and was met by a homeless man who instantly bummed her for a smoke or some money. She gazed down at him and furrowed her brow, keeping Spencer behind her as a protective maneuver.

"Please, miss? Just one. A quarter or one cigarette," the man said, moving his hand through a scraggly salt and pepper beard to make himself seem more presentable.

"I don't have any, man. Let me by," Ashley said sternly, even though Spencer knew this was a blatant lie.

"I can smell the smoke, miss. And surely one of you has a quarter. Just one," the man continued, moving a little bit closer to them.

"From another passer-by, I'm sure. With all the hoes in this street, there's sure to be a smoker amongst one of them. Now – my lady friend and I are trying to get past," Ashley repeated, her voice growing slightly more menacing. Spencer watched in awe, knowing that Ashley's behavior wasn't exactly positive, more threatening to the man.

Spencer knew that this wasn't the correct way to behave. That no person with morals should be keeping her mouth shut and allowing this to happen.

Spencer caught a glance of Ashley's wild gaze as the girl looked back at her.

"Stay back, Spencer," the girl commanded before reaching into her pocket. Spencer's eyes went slightly wide. Ashley was actually going to give him a cigarette. But before she could blink a second time, she saw a flash of ebony and silver emerge from Ashley's pocket – a switchblade. A very sharp one, at that. "I said to fucking let me by, motherfucker."

Ashley advanced toward the man and pressed the blade to his throat. He gulped and the blade pricked his Adam's apple, causing a steady trickle of blood to run down his throat. His eyes blinked as the pain and shock settled in. This did not deter Ashley, however, who proceeded to push the blade a little closer.

"Don't – don't kill me, please," the man begged, almost to tears, completely afraid for his life. Although he was a good three inches taller than Ashley, and possibly stronger, he did not fight her off. Evidently, she had the posture of someone who had done this before. Or perhaps it was the look in her eyes. That coldness would scare off anyone. However, Spencer couldn't help but feel a surge of heat at the sight of Ashley commanding the blade.

Arousal spread through her body and her breathing became slightly more shallow. This was a completely different reaction than she ever would have expected.

"I'll fucking slit your throat. I swear it. Do I _look _like I'm fucking kidding?" Ashley said, practically screaming at him, the walls of the alley barely containing her booming voice.

The man swallowed again, trying to avoid the closeness of razor-sharp steel this time. He succeeded. He nodded his head, trying to keep his movements slight so he wouldn't accidentally slit his own throat. Ashley pulled the blade away and retracted it. Her hands met his chest and shoved hard, causing him to land in a pile of what seemed to be two or three day old compost.

"Ashley..." Spencer called out, wanting to see if the girl was okay, or still seething with rage or potentially dangerous. Ashley turned to face the blonde and gave her a kind, warm smile.

"It's okay, Spencer. You're safe. Come on," Ashley said, offering her hand to the blonde again. Spencer could feel her mind reeling – what the hell was this? Was she schizophrenic or something? Or was she just protecting them?

Either way, Spencer latched on to her hand and followed her down the alley. Ashley did not turn to look back at her again until they reached her car. It was a gorgeous 1956 Jaguar Roadster that was a sleek black color that matched the paint on Ashley's nails. Spencer had never seen such a beautiful car, and Ashley grinned at her.

"You like it?" she asked.

"Fuck me, it's incredible," Spencer mused.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. Now, get in. We'll get you back to your Cooper in no time," Ashley said, moving to the passenger side and opening the door for the blonde. Spencer climbed into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt.

Ashley jumped in the driver's seat and started up her car. The engine purred, and so did Spencer. She looked to the spacious backseat as a rush of vivid images of impure fashion of her and a certain brunette flashed into her mind.

But they had things to talk about.

"About before..." Spencer started to say.

"I was protecting you. I'd never intentionally harm someone. But sometimes, these streets can be rough, and I didn't want him to attack you. Or me," Ashley explained, her voice calm as she maneuvered the car through a series of backstreets that Spencer didn't even know existed. Every now and then, those dark eyes would flicker over Spencer's face that was illuminated only by moonlight, and Spencer would feel a shiver of heat caress her skin.

This girl definitely was charming.

"That's not what I was going to talk about, Ashley. I don't need to know why you did what you did back there. You got us out of a sketchy situation. I wanted to apologize for being a total bitch to you before. The car, the cigarette...the whole male dominance play we were performing. I feel like an asshole," Spencer said softly, her blue eyes focused on the dashboard so she'd have no chance of meeting that intense chocolate gaze of the brunette's.

"Shit happens," Ashley responded before pulling into a long driveway after about ten minutes of driving in silence. She clicked off the engine and unbuckled her seat belt. Spencer looked at the giant house before them. It wasn't Hollywood huge, but it was big enough.

Bigger than Spencer's house.

Two floors and white with a large garage, huge backyard, even black trim, wrap around porch, and what appeared to be a pool out back. This girl had some serious money.

The brunette got out of the car and walked to her garage, rummaging through boxes of stuff while Spencer sat back in the car, lounging against the comfortable white leather passenger seat. She smoothed her hands over the dash and watched Ashley from a distance. The girl pulled a red gas can from a box and then screamed when a large pile of stuff fell on her hand.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" the girl bellowed before walking back to the car, carrying the gas can in one hand and nursing her other one. She tossed the can in the back seat of her car and looked to Spencer.

"You can come in if you want. I cut my hand up pretty back of a pair of hedge trimmers that fell from their hook. I'm just gonna wrap it up inside. But, you're more than welcome to wait out here. It's just kind of – chilly," the girl said as she held her hand a couple inches in front of her face to examine the cut. Spencer caught a glimpse of it and winced. It was long and pretty deep, gushing crimson fluid in a steady pattern.

"I've tended to a few cuts in my life. Let me help you," Spencer said, unfastening her seat belt and getting out of the car. She closed the car door and jogged a few paces to catch up to the brunette who was already walking toward the house. A strain of curse words followed her as she approached the front door, fiddling with the house key using her free hand. Finally she got it open and Spencer trotted up the steps behind her.

All the way there, despite the fuss the brunette was making, Spencer couldn't help but smile.

"Not so tough are you, Ashley Davies?" she mumbled softly, the smile never retreating. Despite her better judgment and awareness of who this girl really was, Spencer felt her heart skip a few beats at the mere thought of what could happen when she would be playing nurse for the wayward brunette in a few minutes.

Strangely enough, she didn't care.

**A/N: **Thanks for all the great reviews! To answer the question about how many chapters this will be, there are thirty in total, but chapter thirty is divided into three parts, and another chapter is divided into two parts. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear it.


	4. Chapter Four

Spencer walked into the front door of the house and gazed at the beautiful interior of Ashley's house. It was simple and immaculate – two things that she didn't expect from the brunette. There were various paintings that had to be expensive – some even looked like originals. Perhaps this mysterious brunette had an amazing career that got her all the money that she had. An art buyer or collector. Perhaps she was more of an artist herself. Spencer certainly thought that she seemed the "artsy" type.

As the blonde continued down the long hallway to what appeared to be the kitchen, she saw a large grand piano in Ashley's living room. Spencer sighed – so she was a musician.

The blonde found herself getting lost in thoughts of Ashley serenading her with long classical tunes and old favorites, or perhaps singing and performing one of her own. Since Spencer was quite talented at the piano herself, she could see this scenario going either way. But Spencer wasn't a singer. Ashley, however – was more than likely a great one. From the sound of her speaking voice – rough, yet dulcet in tone, Spencer would wager that she was gifted musically.

Spencer turned a corner and saw a large Everlast punching bag, which sparked one of the girl's signature eyebrow raises. It was a heavy duty bag, so most likely it wasn't for beginners. The girl did have an amazing body, so perhaps she worked out a lot. Or maybe she was a boxer. A fighter. A prize fighter who was the best in her league. Loved by all the women, and envied by every man. A real heart breaker.

Ashley could teach her how to box. They'd suit up, and she'd gently move Spencer into the proper position. Spencer would move to hit the bag, and then the brunette would respond that she was doing it all wrong. That she needed to try a new position.

Her voice would take on that overtly sexual tone that had she showcased earlier in the alley when she was inviting Spencer for a "ride" and then set her feet the new way – the proper way. The brunette would show her the proper way to hit the bag, a clean and straight jab – right into the center.

She'd do this once or twice, and start to get carried away. Then Spencer would smile, and they'd share a glance for a moment. But just a moment before those lips would collide with hers, the new beads of sweat from Ashley's intense few hits molding into her bronzed skin.

They'd end up starting a new work out session on the carpeting.

Spencer felt a strong heat wave pass through her body and noticed that her center was throbbing with the temperature of some warmer area. The Sahara, perhaps.

She continued her journey to the kitchen, and she could hear the sound of the brunette rummaging through drawers and cabinets for supplies to clean her wound. Spencer stood in the doorway and watched her as she clamored about like a madwoman.

"Motherfucker! Every fucking time I try to get anything done around here, some nasty bullshit happens. And I fucking NEED this hand. What's a girl gonna do with one fucking hand? It's probably going to get infected and fuckin' gangrenous. I'll have to get the fucking thing chopped off!" Ashley mumbled under her breath as she finished placing the supplies on the kitchen counter and looking down at her wounded hand. "Well, fuck me sweetly with a chainsaw..."

Spencer chuckled at her last statement as the brunette started wistfully at her damaged hand. Ashley's whiskey brown eyes darted up and locked onto Spencer's blue ones and they exchanged a semi-awkward glance. The brunette attempted to cross her arms and stick out her chest, reverting to her "bad-ass" mode before reminding herself that one of her hands was injured. She let out a little yelp, and Spencer chuckled again.

"Let me help you with that," Spencer coaxed once she stopped chuckling, taking a step toward where the brunette was standing.

"I bet you think this is really fucking funny, don't you? My pathetic little gimp hand here," Ashley griped before tossing off her leather jacket, exposing her toned arms and taut stomach through the thin cotton of her black tank top.

She hopped up onto the counter next to where she had an array of gauze and cotton balls, Neosporin, and hydrogen peroxide along with what appeared to be a home-made dressing for wounds. Spencer was impressed since the counter was fairly high, a little above the brunette's waist, and she completed her intended maneuver with one hand.

"You do that often?" Spencer asked vaguely as she walked confidently over to the brunette.

"Slice my hand open?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow before reaching for the hydrogen peroxide and some cotton balls, starting to unscrew the cap on the brown bottle of liquid.

"No, jump on your counter like you're practicing for the Special Olympics. I wonder if having a gimp hand would qualify you," Spencer said playfully. This earned her an evil glare from the stunning brunette, who stayed silent. The blonde felt a shiver of fear course through her bloodstream, that look in Ashley's eyes causing her blood to run cold. "Or...not."

"Way to backpedal, blondie," Ashley said before allowing her features to soften, sending the relief cascading through Spencer.

"I don't want to make you angry. I saw your boxing equipment. Not to mention, I know you carry around weapons. Are you a boxer?" Spencer asked before grabbing a cotton ball and the bottle of peroxide from the brunette and lightly touched her arm. She was expecting Ashley to protest to being taken care of, but to the blonde's surprise – she stayed still.

"No, I just like to work out. And if you're going to mother me, be gentle. I do need to keep my hand when this is all said and done," Ashley said, giving one last glance to the deep cut that was laid out neatly across her palm. The bleeding had stopped, at least, but it still was a deep cut that Spencer needed to clean up and bandage to prevent any infection.

"Well, what do you do?" Spencer asked, deciding to use this time to her advantage so she could get to know this strange girl a little better.

"I'm a businesswoman. Self-employed. I have a group of investors that give me their products to sell. New things that are just hitting the market to the middle and upper echelons of Los Angeles. It's a good way to make a living," Ashley said, looking down at the cotton ball that Spencer was dousing in the clear peroxide. The brunette allowed the other girl to move her hand in a good position to be cleaned and relaxed it, giving her access to the delicate injury.

"Well, that certainly sounds glamorous. You do have a lovely home, and your car...well..." Spencer said, trailing off at the thought of Ashley's beautiful convertible and all the things she'd like to do in the backseat of it. Ashley probably had the money to detail the interior if they messed it up. More than enough, really.

Spencer looked down at Ashley's cut instead of her eyes and dabbed the soaked cotton ball over the length of the cut, getting the stinging fluid all over the cut. Ashley winced slightly, and Spencer tossed the blood-soaked cotton ball into the trashcan once it had been used, then grabbing a clean cotton ball and repeating the process until she was satisfied with the state of the brunette's wound.

"It is a nice car, isn't it?" Ashley said after the initial sting of the hydrogen peroxide settled in. She took a deep breath and silently instilled her trust in Spencer before smiling at the blonde and continuing with her first thought. "What do you do, Spencer Carlin?"

"I'm a teacher. Well, I teach piano and Preschool. I went to school for music and beginning elementary. I didn't finish, but I had enough training and schooling to become a pre-school teacher. I love working with kids," Spencer said with a soft smile.

"Why didn't you finish?" Ashley said, her voice expressing genuine curiosity.

Spencer blushed a little at the brunette's desire to know more about her and continued, "I got pregnant. She's six now – Erin. Her father was my college boyfriend, and he didn't stick around after I got pregnant. But we do just fine with our little family."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Men are pigs," Ashley said sympathetically as Spencer reached for a dry cloth to dab over the excess moisture that had collected on Ashley's hand – a mixture of blood and hydrogen peroxide.

"I have no intentions of being with a man again anyway. I wasn't really that attracted to them to begin with. I always preferred women. But this guy – there was just something about him. I hardly ever see him anymore, and Erin doesn't know him. It's for the best, really," Spencer said before putting down the cloth and reaching for the dressing.

"Is it just the two of you, then?" Ashley said as Spencer examined the viscous fluid in the clear container. It was a light yellow color, with the consistency of salad dressing. There were flecks of red in it, and it smelled slightly like sulfur.

"Is this a dressing for injuries?" Spencer asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, a family recipe. For some reason, the Davies' clan get into our share of accidents. The stuff works really well," Ashley said with a smile.

"All right, then," Spencer said, uncapping the squirt tube at the top of the bottle and applying a little bit to a cotton ball and rubbing it over the wound, letting it soak into Ashley's cut and skin, adding a liberal amount every minute or so. "And to answer your question – no. Erin and I live with my girlfriend, Brooke. We've been together for two years. She's a photographer. Works for Rolling Stone."

"Oh, wow. That must be an exciting career," Ashley said, a slight hint of jealousy appearing in her usually calm voice.

"She loves it," Spencer replied, keeping the mention of her girlfriend to a minimum. Ashley looked at her for a minute and swallowed the question she was about to ask, since this was obvious a sore subject for the blonde. She didn't seem happy with this Brooke girl.

Spencer unwound some of the pure white gauze and wrapped it around Ashley's hand, covering the cut sufficiently so it could still breathe, but so it had protecting from the environment and movement. It was sterile.

"Looks like I'll live, doc," Ashley joked, nudging Spencer in the ribcage with her knee and winking at the blonde.

"You're a lucky one. It looked rough there for a while. Hedge clippers are usually pretty fucking dangerous," Spencer said, hiding a soft smile.

"Thank you," Ashley said gently, breaking out of her character for a moment.

"No thanks are necessary. After all – you did give me a ride," Spencer replied. Ashley returned this comment with her usual cocky smile and hopped off the counter, not even bothering to clean it up before glancing up and down Spencer's entire body.

"Mm-hmm. I did. And now, I have to get you back to your car so you can get home to your girlfriend and kid," Ashley said, starting to walk out of the kitchen, whistling a jaunty tune as she walked away, almost strutting. Spencer chuckled and took in Ashley's ass for a moment before completely forgetting where she was and forcing her feet to move.

"Stupid," Spencer mumbled to herself before jogging after the brunette.

Ashley held the door open for the blonde with her good hand once the blonde made it to the front door and locked up behind her.

"Shall we?" Ashley offered, moving back toward her car.

"What other choice is there?" Spencer responded, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice that she was leaving. She would have enjoyed spending more time with the brunette, just talking and getting to know each other. The fact that it would more than likely lead to more than talking was also a perk.

"I could call one of my friends in the city that owes me a favor. He could give your car a tow, a gentle one, back to his place, and we can go get it in the morning," Ashley offered, the words rolling off her tongue in a nonchalant pattern, as if her offer for Spencer to stay the night meant nothing. Spencer was offended slightly at first, but then realized that this tone was Ashley's way of being "cool." Spencer was almost positive that the brunette wanted her to stay just as much as she wanted to.

"Stay until morning? Well, Miss Davies – that sounds dangerous. I mean...you could be an axe murderer," Spencer cooed, taking a step closer to Ashley, causing the brunette to rest back against the passenger door of her car, once again cornered by the blonde.

"Good thing I like danger," Ashley said softly, her breath steaming out because of the chill that the night air had picked up. She wasn't wearing her jacket, but she hardly seemed cold.

"I like it, too," Spencer responded. The blonde moved in, just a few inches away from Ashley's lips and tilted her head to the side. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she moved that final distance toward Ashley's full lips. But when she should have met warmth and softness, Spencer felt only the cool night air. Ashley had snuck out from underneath her.

Spencer opened her eyes and saw the brunette in the driver's seat, starting up the engine.

"C'mon, blondie. We should get you home," the brunette said before Spencer opened her door and eased into the passenger seat.

"Definitely," Spencer sighed.

The car ride back to the city, where Spencer's car was stayed completely silent. Spencer had thought to turn on the radio once or twice, but she didn't know how the other girl would react. After their avoided kiss, Spencer knew that the brunette was completely unpredictable, and Spencer wasn't quite sure what to expect from her at any moment. This girl had definitely mastered the art of playing things, and people - hot and cold.

Ashley parked right next to Spencer's Mini Cooper, and the blonde got out. She took the gas can from Ashley's back seat and poured the liquid into her gas tank. Once the container was empty, Spencer threw the red canister back into Ashley's car and heard her start up the engine.

"Thanks for the ride, Ashley," Spencer said, unable of saying anything more intelligent or proper for their situation at that particular moment.

"I've said before – it's no trouble, Spencer," Ashley said. She had taken the liberty to pause right before saying Spencer's real first name, and the blonde could feel the response her body had from just the single uttering of that word. Two syllables. The most beautiful way anyone had ever said her name.

Ashley put her hand on the stick shift and shifted gears.

This was the time to speak up.

"Ashley?" Spencer called over the purr of the brunette's engine.

"Yeah?"

"Will I see you again?" Spencer asked shyly, not able to look the other girl in her eyes.

"I'll be around," Ashley said before backing up and swerving down the alley.

Just as the sun rose, she was gone.

**A/N: **Thanks again (times a million) for all the wonderful reviews! I'm glad to have both new readers and people who have read this one before and are familiar with my work. As to the question about whether or not I'll be updating any of my old stories that aren't finished: I've thought about resurrecting "Invisible Paramour" and perhaps "Anatomy of a Locker Room," but I'm still not sure. I've been writing stuff for other fandoms, too (if you like "Dollhouse," you can check out my ongoing for that one), but would LOVE to return to the SON world and finish things up. Again, your reviews are wonderful. Thank you all so much.


	5. Chapter Five

The drive home for Spencer was painful, almost.

Every thought in her head was focusing on making some kind of sense out of what happened with the mysterious Ashley Davies just a few minutes ago. Their night together. From their chance meeting, to the siphoned gas, to Spencer's trip to Ashley's house – their "almost-kiss." The images in Spencer's brain were on constant replay: play, pause, rewind, play, rewind, fast-forward, pause, play...

It was excruciating.

Ashley's smile – PAUSE. So gorgeous. Spencer had to think long and hard to find someone whose smile did something even close to what Ashley's could do. It was magnetic. Spencer couldn't look at her when she was laughing or smiling and not follow along with her. Ashley could be trying to sweet-talk her off a cliff, and if she deployed that smile – Spencer would willingly jump.

Pathetic.

Ashley's voice – PLAY. The voice track in Spencer's brain. Little sentences Ashley had said were spiraling along with the images. Some of the images didn't even go with the words that were being said – a poor slideshow, but definitely one worth watching again and again. Spencer had always relied heavily on her head for vivid images of sexual nature, but rarely did thoughts of a single person occupy her mind like Ashley Davies did. And most of the thoughts weren't even sexual.

"Okay, so sixty percent of the thoughts aren't sexual. A good forty definitely are, though," Spencer thought for a moment before mentally smacking her brain.

"Bad Spencer."

Before she knew it, she was on the dimly lit street leading to her house in the middle of the suburbs. It was a small sub-division just outside the city limits, and it was a nice place. There were lots of families with children around Erin's age, so her daughter had lots of playmates. Erin was a tomboy, sometimes a handful, but she was Spencer's favorite person in the world. Brooke and Erin finally started getting along last year, because at first there was something about her that Erin didn't like. Spencer couldn't understand what it was, and even when things with her and Brooke were rocky, the blonde enjoyed seeing the two of them spend time together.

They were good together. A perfect fit. That was the real reason why she and Brooke were still together. Truthfully, Spencer's feelings had dwindled for her girlfriend about a year back – right when Erin and Brooke started to get along. Their sex life died, they started arguing about everything, and then to top it all off, Glen was murdered.

Spencer thought that they could patch things up after she stopped mourning her brother – but she wasn't sure that she would ever be quite the same. It's not every day that your brother gets murdered by a gang shoot-out, and it's even less common that the family members just "get over it."

Erin would be devastated if she and Brooke broke up. Spencer would never do that to her little girl, especially if there was no one there for Erin to get used to other than Brooke.

The six year old was at the critical age now that she was discovering family values, and she rather enjoyed having two mommies. If suddenly that rug was pulled out from under her, Spencer wasn't quite sure how the girl would handle it. She never wanted her daughter to want for anything. Especially when it came to her family. It was hard enough telling the girl that her favorite uncle, Uncle Glen had gone to heaven and wasn't coming back. Spencer thought the girl understood, but she still wasn't old enough to feel the gravity of the situation. Childhood innocence was something that Spencer wished you could keep forever – at least a taste of it.

The blonde walked up to her front door after locking her car and slid her key into the lock, turning it. She closed her eyes for a moment when she saw the clock on the wall – it was 3 in the morning. Brooke would wonder where the hell she had gone.

The girl knew that she was going to meet Aiden – Spencer was open with her about that, because she had nothing to worry about. After Aiden (and even a little before him), Spencer's desire for men had died. She had always enjoyed the touch of a woman over a man's, and after the drama that Aiden brought into her life, she knew that she could never be with another man, no matter how good and nice he seemed. She always clicked with and felt more passion toward women. And those were two of the biggest factors to Spencer when choosing someone to be in a relationship with.

Spencer shut the front door quietly and expected to hear Brooke's voice within moments – perhaps even see her waiting on the couch like she sometimes did when she was worried about her girlfriend. But not tonight. Spencer guessed that she was probably already in their bed, asleep, and she didn't want to wake her. She contemplated sleeping on the couch and lying to Brooke in the morning about what time she got home, but she decided against it within moments. Lying was rarely the answer when it concerned her partner.

Brooke had a gift with uncovering lies, and Spencer was good at telling them, but her conscience always wore down on her like the weight of a ton of bricks.

She never liked harboring that much weight. Not to mention, she was going upstairs to say goodnight to Erin, even though the blonde knew that her daughter would already be asleep. Sometimes, when Spencer had nightmares or other reasons behind sudden insomnia, she'd sneak into Erin's room and just watch her sleep. Take quiet notes of the little girl's breathing and chuckle softly when she talked in her sleep, mentioning a string of things that really made no sense. After a few hours of voyeurism, Spencer found it easier to find solace in her daughter's peace of mind and doze off.

Brooke never had problems sleeping.

Spencer took her jacket off at the door and slid off her shoes. She silently tip-toed up the stairs and turned the corner into her daughter's room. Erin always slept with the door cracked open and a small night light, so Spencer didn't make any noise when she opened the door. Gently, she eased onto the little girl's twin bed and smiled at her daughter's sleeping form.

Messy shoulder length black hair was spread out all around her as dark lashes splayed over her high cheekbones. The light kiss of freckles scattered her pale cheeks, and two tiny hands rested over the star-patterned comforter, right over Erin's stomach. Spencer always had thought that Aiden was an attractive boy, and Erin had contained the best of both of their physical appearance.

Since she was female, she had gained Spencer's form – short and petite, with long legs and a dancer's grace, especially when she was playing or running. She had Spencer's big blue eyes that always kept some warmth, and changed with her mood – light when she was happy, almost like the sky, and dark like sapphires when she was sad or angry. Her nose was Spencer's and her cheekbones were of her mother's as well.

Erin's hair was jet black, like her father's and resembled the shade of the night sky. She kept it to her shoulders, but insisted that it was maintained in layers where no layer was the same length. No matter how Spencer and Brooke tried to comb it, it always looked short, spiky, and messy. Brooke said that she looked like a miniature Shane from The L Word. Erin's jawline and lips were also Aiden's, and fit perfectly on her face.

She was fair skinned and beautiful – Spencer and Aiden joked that she'd have the best of both worlds and be a heart breaker when she came of age. Spencer had responded that her baby wouldn't be dating boys until she was 30, but girls were allowed at the age of 18. She had only been slightly kidding.

Spencer leaned forward to kiss her daughter on her forehead, Erin's lack of bangs giving her easy access to this. Her hair was still slightly wet from the bath she must have taken when Spencer was away, and she smelled of vanilla.

Before Spencer's lips could meet the girl's forehead, Erin's eyes opened sleepily.

"Mommy?" Erin's voice cooed out, naturally husky for a six year old, but slightly darker due to her just waking up.

"Yeah, baby. Mommy's here," Spencer whispered in the semi-darkness of Erin's room.

"Did you just get back?" Erin asked, reaching up to rub her eyes. "What time's it?"

"It's still early, Erin. You need to go back to sleep. Mommy just wanted to say goodnight," Spencer told Erin, her lips breaking into a full smile at her daughter's slightly grumpy morning behavior.

"It's not night, though. S'morning," Erin responded, her large blue eyes dancing with slight defiance, even though she had just woken up.

"Good little girls sleep in until at least eight in the morning, though. And it's only 3," Spencer said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Kay, mommy. Will you tell me a story?" Erin asked, attempting to sit up against her pillows before getting slightly swallowed by her mass of blankets.

"Tomorrow morning, okay? Over breakfast. And then maybe Brooke will take you grocery shopping in the city," Spencer said, knowing that this would excite the girl. "But only if you go back to sleep."

"Sleep, then!" Erin replied, pulling the covers over her head and making a fake snoring noise. Spencer chuckled and pulled the covers over her daughter's head to reveal her smiling face. Her hair was even more messed up now, and despite her laughter, Spencer could tell that she was tired.

"Sleep, then," Spencer replied before giving her daughter a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Night, mommy," Erin said softly before closing her eyes and adjusting on the bed to a new position for sleep. Spencer smoothed the girl's jet black hair back out of her face and stood up, walking toward the door.

"Night, love. I'll see you in the morning. Sleep tight," Spencer said before shutting the door three quarters of the way, just as Erin liked it.

Spencer padded down the hallway over the white carpet to her bedroom, and snuck in – making sure not to make too much noise. Even though Brooke wasn't a light sleeper, Spencer wasn't quite sure that she was asleep at all.

The blonde walked over to her drawers and grabbed a pair of boxers and a tank top and put them on, putting her dirty clothes in the hamper across the room before crawling into bed next to her girlfriend's form that appeared to be asleep. Her deep green eyes were closed, and her breathing was shallow. This was the position she usually took when she slept, on her side. Usually Spencer laid behind her and held her close, but tonight the blonde just wanted to retire to her dreams.

She slid between the cool sheets and sighed softly into the darkness. Moments later, her girlfriend stirred and turned over to face the blonde. Her wavy dark hair fell over her shoulder blades, stopping just beneath them, and a pair of emerald green eyes peered into Spencer's.

Brooke was a very pretty girl, slightly taller than Spencer with a lithe, athletic body. Even though she was a professional photographer, she loved to surf and keep her body in shape for surfing, which was her favorite hobby. She had just started teaching Erin, which had given them another thing to bond over.

Spencer studied her girlfriend's face carefully, to try to understand what might be on her mind and therefore predict the questions she would ask. The girl's lightly tanned face was slightly freckled, giving her a more youthful appearance – like she was 23 and not 27. She still possessed a womanly beauty in her strong, yet slender arms and toned body that was bronzed and sunkissed all over. She inhaled sharply and furrowed her eyebrows, biting onto her bottom lip and making them slightly pouty, adding to her beauty.

"Where were you?" Brooke's velvety voice purred out. She was upset.

"I was with Aiden, but I left the diner a while ago. It's a 24 hour diner, and I knew I had to get home to you and Erin. As for what kept me – you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Spencer said, trying to keep the atmosphere slightly playful so Brooke might just suggest that they go back to sleep. Spencer attempted to make her eyes look more tired in a way to gather up some pity from the brunette.

"Is that code for 'I'm cheating on you?'" Brooke asked, raising an eyebrow and moving back slightly from the blonde.

"No, babe. It's just an odd situation. It's never happened to me before. A real freak accident," Spencer explained.

"So you _are_ cheating on me," Brooke said gently, her voice retaining slight anger this time, "That's fucking fantastic, Spencer."

"I'm not cheating on you. 'You wouldn't believe me if I told you' is code for 'some fucking junkies decided to siphon all my gas.' If I hadn't been parked right by a gas station, I would have had to call a tow. I walked to the station and told one of the pump operators my situation, and they let me purchase a gas can to fill it up with," Spencer lied, hoping that Brooke would drop this argument before it got too loud and they woke Erin, who had undoubtedly fallen asleep by now.

"Hmm – I didn't know they'd let you do that," Brooke said, her tone softening slightly, but still letting the blonde know that her girlfriend thought she was lying. For good reason, too. But there was really no better answer than that. The truth doesn't always work.

"I didn't either, babe. But evidently, you can if you're in a major situation. Must be my lucky night," Spencer said with a half-smile, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Brooke's lips. To her surprise, Brooke kissed her back – letting it linger for a few minutes before separating.

"It must be. I made Erin take a bath and tucked her into bed while you were away. She missed you," Brooke said, her eyes taking on a slight sadness. "I did, too. She was really tired tonight, and she went to bed early. Only a half hour after you left. I was hoping tonight we might...spend some time alone."

Spencer sighed and looked down slightly before meeting her girlfriend's gaze. Any other night, she might have agreed, but tonight having sex with the other brunette just wouldn't be fair to her. Spencer's mind would only be on Ashley Davies.

"We'll have another night, Brooke. I promise," Spencer said before giving her girlfriend another kiss. "Soon."

"As long as it's really soon, and not a couple weeks from now. And then you'll forget, and I'll have to wait another month. I don't like feeling as though I have to pencil in my time with you," Brooke confessed.

"And you won't. Because I mean it," Spencer said, resting her hands on Brooke's slender waist.

"You always mean it, Spencer Carlin," Brooke replied with a slight roll of her eyes.

"Mm-hmm, and time always escapes me. That doesn't change the fact that I love you," Spencer lied. Although she did care for Brooke, she knew it wasn't love. It had been lust and the beginning, and when normally, it would shift into love – their relationship shifted into comfort, which led to doubt, lackluster intimacy, and nasty arguments.

However, Spencer was aware that Brooke loved her and Erin. She wasn't about to walk away.

"I love you, too."

Brooke smiled brightly and kissed the blonde once more before settling into her arms and drifting off to sleep. For Spencer – only insomnia and the Ashley Davies slide-show would follow.

**A/N: **Thanks again for the great reviews! I'm still keeping with my one chapter per day method, but some days, if you guys are _really_ into a double update, I might be able to be persuaded. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter - the Carlin "family" expands. Let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter Six

Sunlight poured through the window, and Spencer could feel the heat on her bare shoulders while she was still in a half-asleep state. Spencer never was much of a morning person. Her mind was racing even though her body was technically still in that relaxing, sleeping form, and she went over what had happened last night. This time, the thoughts were not on Ashley Davies – but on Brooke.

She had been so rude to her, so distant. Spencer recalled that look of sadness in Brooke's eyes when she had denied her yet again, and the tone her voice had taken when she was asking Spencer what kept her away. Brooke really did care about her, even though the passion in their relationship had faded. Truthfully, the passion hadn't been fading because of anything except the directions that their lives had taken. It wasn't a telling factor of their strength and family – because that was very strong.

When they first got together, their priority had been Erin and each other. They still went to work, they still had long hours, but they thought constantly of getting off work to see Erin and each other. Now, they had even longer hours and Erin was growing up – needing more attention and becoming a bigger part of their lives.

Especially Brooke's.

Brooke had confided in Spencer that she wanted more kids, possibly together so Erin might have a little brother or sister. This had freaked Spencer out beyond anything she had ever felt in her life. Worse than when she found out that she was pregnant.

It wasn't that she hated the idea of having kids with Brooke – the girl had proven that she could be an excellent parent, perhaps better than Spencer at times. Their jobs were good enough, and they had enough money coming in to afford another kid, but Spencer still wasn't sure. She hadn't wanted a child in the first place, but she would never get an abortion because of her personal beliefs, and then when she gave birth to little Erin, she knew that she'd never be able to send her to another home.

One look into those blue eyes, and she was in love.

Brooke's mention of other kids, an addition to their household was what started their lack of intimacy. Spencer didn't want to get too close and too comfortable with the brunette anymore. Not to mention, she had always dreamed of having a family with someone that she loved completely and never wanted to be without. If Erin wasn't so fond of Brooke, Spencer knew that she'd break up with the other girl. She'd have no qualms about breaking her heart, because she knew from experience that broken hearts heal.

She stayed for her daughter now, and nothing more.

Her mother had told her once that the happiness of your child should always come before your own. Spencer reminded her of this fact when she came out of the closet, since Paula had been less than thrilled about it, due to her being a devout Catholic.

It took a few weeks, but Paula understood and wished Spencer luck in her future relationships. Spencer knew that her mother would never agree with bisexuality or homosexuality, but she wanted her daughter to be happy above all other things. Not to mention, she loved Brooke and Erin – and was starting to get on Spencer's case to agree with Brooke to make those pesky additions to their little family.

Spencer felt sometimes that she was staying with Brooke for her mother's approval as well, even though Glen, Clay, and her father, Arthur, all knew of her thoughts and unhappiness. They knew exactly why she stayed, and none of them had wanted this for her.

Clay told her to leave Brooke and give the girl visiting times with Erin so they wouldn't be completely divided and find a new girlfriend for Erin to get attached to. Someone that Spencer could fall in love with as well. Therein lied the rub, because Spencer just wasn't sure that she was capable of falling in love.

She had seen and been in many relationships where love had never been possible from the beginning, and she wasn't sure if love was worth fighting for at times. What was love, anyway?

Love was what she felt for her brothers. For her parents. For her daughter. But could she feel it for a lover? For a partner? Was that kind of comfort and intimacy possible for her, or was it one of those things that could only be experienced with her own flesh and blood?

Spencer opened her eyes and sat up slightly in bed. She had to apologize to Brooke. Despite her feelings about their relationship, she couldn't just play with and tweak the girl's emotions because it made her life simpler. It was still a human life – and those weren't meant to be played with. That gang that murdered her brother liked to play with lives, and Spencer knew all too well what happens to the survivors of a dead family members when someone stops playing.

Life had hardened Spencer in the past two months – since she buried her brother. Before, she had been a completely compassionate, gentle person. She still retained some of that compassion, but every day that passed, she felt it slipping. She put on a happy face for Erin and Brooke, and most times the two girls could exchange the fake smile into something slightly based in reality.

Glen's death was another reason that Spencer was having intimacy problems with Brooke. She didn't want to turn to another for physical comfort. She didn't have a sex drive, since her sadness still stayed with her. Glen's grave was too fresh. She still remembered him on a daily basis, and found herself dialing his phone number sometimes just to see if she needed to pick him up more food or bring him soap. She'd even offer to do his laundry sometimes when he was in a real fix.

If she called that number now, Aiden would answer the phone.

He lived there alone.

Glen was gone.

Spencer rubbed her eyes that were still drenched in sleep and turned over, expecting to find Brooke's warm body – still half-asleep, if not fully. She hit the cool sheets that were in a lump from where her girlfriend once slept. Spencer turned onto her side and took in the sight of their bedroom that was lit by the morning sunlight. The door to their attached bathroom was slightly open, and steam still fogged the mirrors. Brooke had taken a shower not too long ago, and Spencer was surprised that the water running hadn't woken her up.

"I must have been out," Spencer thought for a moment before getting up, smoothing out her tank top and boxers. She smoothed out her slightly messy and wavy blonde locks from sleep and stretched out her back. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment and she breathed in deeply. The smell of scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon filled the air – floating up the steps. Brooke had made breakfast for her and Erin. Spencer smiled and jumped out of bed, looking at herself in the mirror for a second before darting down the steps like a small child.

She turned the corner to the kitchen and saw Erin seated at their table, drinking a big glass of orange juice and putting some shredded cheddar cheese on her eggs and buttering a few slices of toast.

She grabbed a napkin to wipe her fingers that were greasy from eating bacon, and Brooke was grabbing some more toast from the toaster and turning off the stove, letting the skillet of fresh eggs cease cooking before they burned. Her wavy brown hair was still wet from her shower and fell around her oval-shaped face in a messy bunch. Her green eyes were freshly lined with coal eyeliner and mascara, causing their color to become even more intense. She was dressed in a pair of black board shorts and a white tank top that clung to her athletic body. She didn't even notice Spencer.

Spencer padded into the kitchen and planned to sneak up on the two girls, but her daughter's sharp hearing caught the near-silent noise of her bare feet padding along the linoleum as soon as she crossed the threshold.

"Mommy!" the little girl squealed, leaping from the table and jumping into Spencer's arms, grinning from ear to ear, her features completely lit up with happiness.

"Morning, baby," Spencer said softly before giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek. Brooke plated up some eggs, bacon, and toast for Spencer and herself and set the plates down on the table before walking over to where Spencer and Erin were and resting her hands akimbo, smiling at the sight of them together.

"Brooke made some yummy scambled eggs," Erin said, mispronouncing the word "scrambled."

Brooke chuckled and smiled at the raven haired girl.

"Your mommy had a rough night last night, sweetie. I wanted to give her a good wake-up call," Brooke explained before smiling at Spencer and locking onto her eyes. "Morning, love."

"Good morning," Spencer replied with a smile, holding Erin in her arms as the six year old wrapped her legs around Spencer's waist. "And thank you. It looks delicious."

"It is!" Erin said before jumping down from Spencer's arms and back to her seat, sitting down in her chair and putting her napkin in her shirt to catch any falling food. She was wearing a new outfit that Brooke had bought her on their last shopping excursion – white Bermuda shorts and a black, shallow cut V-neck tee shirt with graffiti on it. Also on the girl's neck was a pukka shell necklace that she and Brooke found on the beach. Someone had dropped it, and Erin wanted to keep it. After a small argument about sanitation and whether someone might come back for it between Spencer and Brooke, they had decided to let her keep it.

"Look, Mommy! I keep my nakkin in my shirt so it doesn't stain. Bacon's greasy."

"I know it is, baby. Good girl," Spencer said with a smile as Brooke shot Erin the thumbs-up sign. Erin returned this gesture and went back to eating her toast.

"I'm glad to see you smile this morning," Brooke said as she stood before her girlfriend, leaning in for a kiss. Spencer returned this kiss, slipping Brooke a little tongue, but not too much since her daughter was in the room. This kiss was still more passionate than any of their ones from the night before. "And Aiden called the house again this morning. He wants to meet you in the park. To tell you something that he forgot about last night. A name or something. He seemed frantic."

"Oh. Well, that's Aiden for you. Always thinking it's the end of the world or something," Spencer said, only partly lying so as not to betray the gravity of the situation to her daughter or girlfriend.  
>"You're going to the park, Mommy?" Erin said, perking up at the mere mention of the word. Spencer wrapped her arm around Brooke's waist and flashed her an apologetic smile before acknowledging her daughter's question.<p>

"Yes, love. But not for anything fun. Just a meeting," Spencer said, trying to make this trip seem as boring as possible to her daughter. "I'm not going to be there long anyway. Not even a half-hour, if things go well."

"Uncle Aiden's going to be there?" Erin asked.

"Yes. But, he's not going to be there long. He probably wouldn't even have time to play with you on the swings or anything. I don't want you to be disappointed," Spencer said, knowing that in the few brief meetings her daughter had been exposed to with "Uncle" Aiden and Glen, she had gotten along with him really well.

"Erin, why don't you just let Mommy go take care of her meeting, and you and I will go rollerblading around the neighborhood? Maybe come back to the house and rock out to some Pink Floyd?" Brooke said, knowing that the little girl loved doing those things with her. Spencer smiled gratefully at Brooke, and the brunette nodded her head in response.

"Why don't we all go to the park?" Erin suggested, not dropping this idea.

"I'll take her rollerblading in the park so you and Aiden can talk," Brooke mumbled before looking into Spencer's blue eyes. The blonde nodded, even though she didn't like the idea. However, she knew her daughter. She had developed Spencer's persistence, and wasn't going to let them get away without taking her to the park.

"Brooke always has such good ideas, doesn't she, Erin? All right. We'll all go to the park," Spencer said cheerfully, even though this idea wasn't presenting itself well.

Brooke gave Spencer a kiss on the cheek as Erin pumped her fist into the air, and Brooke pulled Spencer's chair out for her at the table, letting her take a seat in front of her breakfast plate.

"I think your meeting's at one, babe," Brooke said softly. "It's 11:30 now."

"Okay. I'll shower and you and Erin can play a board game or something, and then we can take your car. I don't think mine's ready for a journey for a little while longer. Not to mention – Erin looks like she could use a ride in the Jeep," Spencer said as she buttered her toast and passed the jam to Brooke.

"Brooke's car looks like the ones in Jurassic Park, Mommy!" Erin said as she finished up her food and poured more juice.

"You let her watch that movie? She's six!" Spencer said softly.

"I fast-forwarded through all the bad parts and made her close her eyes. She just wanted to see the Stegosaurus," Brooke said calmly.

"Brooke's car does look like the Jurassic Park ones, baby – but you don't have to worry..." Spencer said, hoping that her child wasn't traumatized by the movie. She didn't think children should be exposed to violence. She didn't want them to grow up and all be violent people, especially with the crime that already plagued the US.

"...they're not real. Dinosaurs all died a billion billion trillion years ago, Mommy. I know," Erin said, repeating the same type of thing that Spencer had told her a million times and rolling her eyes before giggling and finishing her juice.

Brooke chuckled and started to eat her breakfast, watching Spencer's shocked face. Her kid certainly was a pistol – just like her mother.

"All right then, smarty-pants. Since you're done with breakfast, why don't you put your dishes in the sink, brush your teeth and hair, and then tidy things up in that room of yours? We're leaving in an hour," Spencer said as Erin got up to follow orders.

Erin placed her dishes in the sink and gave Spencer and Brooke both a kiss on the cheek before scampering up the stairs.

"What are we going to do with her once she gets to be a teenager?" Spencer asked, looking at her girlfriend whose eyes lit up when the blonde included the word "we" instead of "I."

"Lock her in the closet," Brooke replied before finishing up her breakfast. The two shared a look and slight laughter, and finished up in silence. Today was starting to look a little better for the Carlin/Springfield household.

**A/N: **Wow. THANK YOU all so, so much for the wonderful feedback on the last chapter/chapters (for those of you who just jumped on). I sincerely appreciate all of it. Every word, and I DO read every bit of feedback. It makes me laugh, smile, and sometimes cringe because, well, I know what's on the horizon. Sorry about that. I am patiently (kind of) awaiting your reviews on this chapter - what are you thinking about Spencer's family? Erin? Brooke? Feeling nervous yet? Let me know!


	7. Chapter Seven

Breakfast moved by in silence, featuring the pitter-patter of Erin's feet upstairs, scurrying around to get ready to go to the park. Spencer and Brooke would exchange smiles and glances between bites of their food, and for the first time in a month – Spencer felt comfortable sitting with this woman at the breakfast table. She felt comfortable in their silence. Because, even though technically they weren't having a conversation, it wasn't because they didn't have anything to talk about. It was because they'd rather just enjoy each other's presence.

Believe it or not, some things can be ruined with words.

Spencer finished her eggs and snagged the last piece of bacon, eating it quickly before getting up to put her dish in the sink. She grabbed a sponge from the side of the counter and reached for the soap. Brooke stopped her by clearing her throat loudly, causing the blonde's eyes to find the source of the noise.

"Don't you even. I'll take care of that. You go shower, and I'll meet you upstairs before we head out, okay?" Brooke said, gesturing to the dishes.

"Brooke – you've already done so much. Just let me finish these up really quick. It's not that much, and it won't throw us off schedule," Spencer said, locking her blue eyes onto Brooke's green ones.

"You deserve some down time in the form of a long, hot shower. You seemed really stressed last night before you went to meet with Aiden, and who knows what the fuck he'll want to 'talk' about once you meet with him today?" Brooke said, keeping her voice down so Erin wouldn't hear the "adult" language that would no doubt plague this conversation.

"Last night was nothing serious. I blew it way out of proportion before I left, and that's the cause of stress. I'm not an invalid – I can do the dishes," Spencer said with a half smile as she started to run some water into the sink.

"Spencer Carlin, you shut that faucet off right now," Brooke said, softly commanding her girlfriend. Spencer turned around, pressing her back against the sink and leaving the water going, raising her eyebrow in defiance.

"Or you'll do what, Brooke?" Spencer asked, leaning her hands back against the counter slightly, opening her body up slightly to the brunette's view.

"Hmm – good question. I'm not sure," Brooke said, resting her chin on her hand as she pretended to think for a second. She downed the last bit of her cranberry juice and walked over to Spencer, standing a few inches from the blonde's body and placed both of her hands on the counter, surrounding Spencer in between the two strong limbs.

"Well, look at you. Aren't you usually spontaneous? Isn't that what creative people like you pride themselves on? Spontaneity?" Spencer taunted. Brooke rolled her eyes for a moment and took a step back, obviously planning on teasing Spencer a little more by separating the slight contact she had initiated.

However, this morning Spencer was feeling playful, and Brooke really had been good to her. The heat surged for a moment in Spencer's body, and she realized that perhaps the spark would start up again if they worked at it.

She used to always crave Brooke.

Their kisses would rage and burn, and they could spend days in bed, touching and making love to each other until neither girl could move.

They'd collapse in a sweaty heap and feel completely content. They'd rest like that for ten or fifteen minutes and then race to the shower for just one more round before sleep overtook them. Spencer remembered the nights where she never wanted to leave Brooke's arms – for she always felt much better in the morning when she woke up enveloped in the photographer.

She remembered how well they fit together – physically and otherwise.

Maybe they could have that again.

Spencer grabbed Brooke by the back of her head and crushed their lips together in a fiery kiss. Brooke's hands immediately gripped Spencer's hips and crashed their stomachs together, the thin material of their shirts doing close to nothing to keep them from feeling their risen body temperatures. Brooke sighed into the kiss and allowed it to transform into a moan when Spencer's tongue snaked out to trace along her bottom lip.

Without hesitation, the brunette opened her mouth to give Spencer the entrance that she was asking for. Spencer's hands moved to tangle in Brooke's soft chestnut locks as they continued to kiss. Brooke pressed Spencer back a little harder against the counter, and normally, Spencer would have felt somewhat uncomfortable since the edge was digging into her back. Right now, she felt nothing but her girlfriend, and didn't feel like stopping.

A few moments later, oxygen became an issue, and they broke free of the kiss. Brooke's green eyes searched Spencer's for a moment, and the blonde nodded. Brooke cupped Spencer's ass and picked her up, allowing the blonde to wrap her legs around her waist as she pinned her against the counter, a little rougher now.

Spencer instinctively started grinding her hips into Brooke's, relieving the ache that was building between her thighs as the brunette's skilled lips found her pulse point and started sucking gently.

A hushed moan escaped Spencer's lips, since she knew they couldn't be loud. How embarrassing would it be if Erin bounded into the kitchen and caught them heavily making out and touching? That would lead to a completely different conversation than dinosaurs and the park, and Spencer wasn't ready for that yet. Her daughter was only six, and very inquisitive.

However, she did not stop her lover when her hands pressed under Spencer's tank top. Brooke's agile fingers traced over Spencer's stomach. It wasn't as toned as Brooke's, for Spencer didn't crave being outdoors and physical except in bed, but it was still flat and quite soft to the touch. Brooke continued kissing along Spencer's neck, nuzzling the sensitive nape and then biting down gently, leading a dotted line all the way down to the blonde's shoulder, where she bit harder.

Spencer moaned louder in response, and then her body jolted in shock.

"Shh..." Spencer said to her girlfriend, who looked up at her, slightly confused. They paused all motion as Erin ran around upstairs. They listened for a few more seconds until they realized that Erin was coming back downstairs. Brooke let Spencer down and backed a step away, checking the blonde's neck for any marks that might be completely visible to give her fair warning.

Brooke smoothed her semi-dry hair and then crossed her arms, moving quickly to the table and collecting the rest of the dishes. Spencer shut off the water and put the sponge back as they tried their hardest to look inconspicuous.

Erin ran into the kitchen and did a little twirl, showing her mother and Brooke that she was ready to go.

"Teeth brushed, hair brushed!" the little girl said, a proud smile gracing her features.

"Good job, honey. You look great," Spencer said, smiling at her daughter. Brooke smiled at the six year old as well and took a step closer to her, kneeling down to her level so she could look into her eyes.

"Erin – why don't you go get our roller-blades ready? You can skate a little before we go as long as you don't get too dirty and you make sure to put on your knee-pads and helmet," Brooke said to the girl.

The raven haired girl smiled and hugged Brooke tightly, lost in excitement for the day's events. Brooke smiled and hugged her back, her throaty chuckle filling the kitchen as Spencer placed a hand on her hip and smiled at the display.

Brooke and Erin really were good together.

Spencer sighed and felt the desire flood her system. She was slightly surprised, since she and Brooke hadn't done anything like that in weeks. Maybe it was because it had been so long, or perhaps it was because things were starting to look up for them.

"Mommy, I can go skate, right?" Erin said, checking with the blonde to make sure it was okay. Spencer paused for a moment as Erin broke her out of her thought reverie, doing a double-take as Brooke's and Erin's eyes locked on her.

"Of course you can, love," Spencer said softly before Erin took off toward the garage. "Don't play in the road, and look for cars!"

Brooke stood up and walked toward her girlfriend.

"She's a pistol," Brooke stated, wrapping her arms around Spencer's waist and letting her hands rest on the blonde's lower back, stroking a strip of her bare skin where her tank and boxers didn't meet idly. Spencer smiled and tilted her head to the side.

"At least we didn't get caught," Spencer replied, pressing her lips to Brooke's for a tender, but chaste kiss. "And now you really can have dish duty because I need to hop in the shower."

"Too bad I showered already otherwise I'd feel inclined to finish up quickly and join you. It's been a while..." Brooke said with a slow smile, the desire darkening her already emerald colored eyes.

"I know it has, and I'm sorry. Things have just been weird for me lately, dealing with Glen, Erin being...Erin. Not to mention, Aiden keeps bringing himself back into the equation, and it's really starting to piss me off and wear me down," Spencer said, trying to keep her voice in a tone that would make Brooke understand. She wasn't lying. She was just trying to make sense of what she had to do. Essentially, she had to cheat on Brooke to save her ex-boyfriend's life.

An ex-boyfriend that was the father of her child.

Erin didn't even know him.

What difference would it make if he died?

Spencer sighed softly as the answer of her question came to her.

"Because if Aiden dies, he'll never come clean, and that means Erin will _never_ know her father. He's not so bad when he's sober, and he'd be a good dad if he straightened up. If he dies, there's never any hope of that. And maybe his being threatened will either scare him, or me saving his life will give me leverage to make him come clean," Spencer thought as her eyes cast down as her brain rambled on.

"Penny for your thoughts, gorgeous?" Brooke asked gently, not wanting to scare away her girlfriend. Spencer already was skittish enough about talking sometimes, especially when matters got too serious or scary for her. She'd close off, and Brooke feared that she'd never be able to reach her.

"Just – this whole thing with Aiden," Spencer said, keeping her answers vague.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on? Because I'm pretty sure it's too complicated for me to guess. I'm pretty good at guessing games, but your eyes tell me that there's some serious shit going down here," Brooke said, raising Spencer's eyes to hers by tucking two fingers under her chin and stroking the blonde's cheek with her thumb, trying to calm her.

Spencer looked into Brooke's eyes and didn't respond. At least, not with words.

"Okay. You'll tell me when you're ready," Brooke said, dropping her attempt to get into the blonde's head. She let go of Spencer's face and took a step back, sending Spencer a slightly hurt half-smile. "I am going to finish these dishes now, because there's a crazy six year old outside who desperately wants to go rollerblading in the park. Who am I to deny her anything, hmm?"

"You're so good to us," Spencer said, letting the words fall from her mouth. She hadn't originally meant to say them, but she did mean what she said.

"I really needed to hear that," Brooke said sincerely. Spencer nodded and gave the brunette a kiss on her cheek before going upstairs to shower. Spencer climbed the stairs, her mind still deep in thought and moved into their room. In a daze, she grabbed her ensemble for the day: a new pair of tapered jeans, a black, short sleeved off the shoulder shirt, and a pair of black flip flops. She set them inside the bathroom on top of the hamper and closed the door.

The warm water from the shower seemed to cleanse her and fill her with regret all at the same time. Here she was, sharing a house with a beautiful girl who loved her and her daughter more than Spencer would have ever thought, and she was about to make plans with her ex-boyfriend to cheat on her just to save his sorry ass.

"Damn junkies," Spencer said softly, her words echoing off the shower walls and returning to her ears about four times before she finished washing up. She turned off the water and grabbed a towel, drying off before getting dressed. She blow-dried and brushed out her hair and applied some bronzer, eyeliner, mascara and light blue eyeshadow to accent her eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't stop the thoughts from springing to her.

"I'm not worth this life," she thought. Brooke really was good to her and Erin, and she was about to be a horrible person in return. Brooke could never find out.

She was about to agree to cheat, but in many ways – Spencer had already cheated. Last night, with Ashley. Gorgeous, bad-ass, and sexy Ashley Davies. Spencer could feel her body heating up just at the thought of the lithe brunette. That voice washed over with her and instantly made her wet. Ashley made her feel just like Brooke had when they first started dating – alive.

Now, she just felt comfortable.

"Mommy! We need to go!" Erin called from the bottom of the stairs. Spencer chuckled and walked out of the room.

"Yeah, Mommy!" Brooke's voice followed in a teasing manner. "You're the one with the meeting here. Erin and I are going to wait for you out in the car, okay?"

"Okay!" Spencer said before resting her forehead against the bathroom mirror. The glass cooled her skin and she closed her eyes. "Put on a happy face, Spencer Carlin. This is for your life."

With that, she walked out of the bathroom and threw her pajamas in the hamper. She descended the steps and walked outside, locking the front door behind her. Erin and Brooke already had her Jeep loaded up and the radio blaring. High School Musical – Erin's favorite. Brooke honked the horn, twice and smiled brightly at Spencer.

"I made Erin give you shotgun. But, she gets to pick the music," Brooke said, feigning a gunshot to her head where Erin couldn't see it.

"Mm-hmm. I can sing along!" the little girl said as she joined in on the song that was currently playing. Spencer rolled her eyes and got in the passenger seat, buckling her seat belt. She didn't know the name of the song, but teeny-bopper Disney musicals weren't exactly her style.

"Pink Floyd on the way home, though. Mommy will get a headache if we listen to the same songs too many times," Spencer said, making up a plausible excuse for her daughter, who nodded her head in agreement.

Brooke chuckled and pulled out of their garage, driving down the quiet road of their neighborhood. Six songs (that all sounded the same) later, they were in the middle of the city and driving toward Erin's favorite park.

Brooke stopped at a red light and smiled over at Spencer, taking the blonde's hand in hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. Spencer looked out her window as the breeze blew her hair around her face. Traffic wasn't so bad today, and it didn't look like too many people were at the park. There were plenty of places to park just off the street. Brooke brought Spencer's hand up to her lips and kissed it before the light turned green, and she drove forward, making a right turn and finding a parking space instantly.

"Whoa, baby...look at this car we parked next to. Hot!" Brooke said with a grin as she turned off the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition, letting them find their rightful place in her front pocket.

Erin jumped out of the back seat after unbuckling her seat belt, and Brooke got out as well. Spencer sighed as Brooke and Erin clamored around in the back for their blades, and she walked around to the side where the "hot" car was located.

A black 1956 Jaguar Roadster.

Those cars were not indigenous to LA, which only meant one thing:

Ashley.

**A/N: **You guys asked, and the reviews spoke for themselves! So, I hope you enjoy. The next chapter is split into two parts, which means you get a double post tomorrow. I hope you'll keep reviewing. It really means a lot to me, and I appreciate the thorough feedback. I'd like to remind you all again that this is by no means a happy story, and the drama is definitely still on the horizon. I hope you'll stay tuned. Let me know what you think! And, thank you for being so wonderful. I'm happy to resurrect this story once again for a new (and perhaps returning) audience. You rock!


	8. Chapter Eight A

Spencer's mind whirled as shock beat down on her body. What the fuck was Ashley Davies, her mystery woman from last night doing in the same park as her daughter and girlfriend? Spencer darted her eyes up to the clouds, as if addressing the fates, since she did not believe in a definite God.

"What the fuck do you want with me? What are you trying to prove here?" Spencer whispered menacingly to whoever might be listening above. She crossed her arms as a gentle breeze blew over her bronzed skin and shivered. Not quite a response, but then again - what was she to expect?

"Babe? Did you say something?" Brooke said, breaking her reverie from the back of the Jeep where she was helping Erin put on her roller-blades.

"No. Not a thing," Spencer said with a smile that was only slightly convincing. "I'm just going to go ahead over to the fountain. It's a central piece, and I should be able to scan the people in the park from there. You know – see where Aiden is?"

"Sure, babe. Erin and I can definitely handle the concrete jungle. I promise nothing bad will happen. Don't worry about us. We're practically pro," Brooke said, lacing up her blades and helping the raven-haired youth out of the Jeep. Erin skidded over to her mother and smiled.

"Look ma, no hands!" Erin said, waving her hands around like a crazy person. Spencer chuckled at her child's off-beat humor and looked at Brooke, who smirked in response.

"Baby, you don't need hands to roller-blade," Spencer said softly, despite her laughter.

"I was just trying to be funny..." Erin said before shrugging her shoulders and zooming off into the middle of the park. Spencer watched the girl go, sliding and practically floating over the asphalt and concrete, coordination skills and youthful energy on display, practically humming and hovering above her skin.

Brooke skated over to her girlfriend, only wearing elbow pads – no helmet. She kissed the blonde for a moment until she was breathless.

"Are you going to chastise me for not wearing a helmet?" Brooke teased playfully as she circled the blonde's waist with her arms. Spencer relaxed into her lover's embrace, but couldn't help feeling slightly uncomfortable – especially since Ashley was wandering around here somewhere.

That's who she was really going to look out for. There was no way that the brunette could run into Spencer's family. Because, for some reason, Spencer doubted that she was a professional when it came to the art of subtlety. Something about Ashley told Spencer that she'd be the loudmouth, jealous type, and that wouldn't do at all.

"You're a big girl," Spencer said, looking over Brooke's lean and toned body with a lustful eye. She couldn't help but tease her girlfriend like that sometimes, especially when they were alone. Spencer was completely attracted to the other girl, and she was VERY sexy. "I have a feeling that you can handle a pair of roller-blades without killing yourself. You'd better, at least."

Brooke smiled and brought Spencer's hips slightly into hers, the wheeled shoes giving her an advantage on maneuverability.

"Oh yeah? I'd better? Are you the boss of me, Spencer Carlin?" Brooke said playfully, arching a dark eyebrow.

"I could be," the blonde replied. She pressed her lips against the brunette's and pressed her hips a little harder against Brooke's, taking that moan she earned in response as a chance to deepen the kiss. Brooke's hands threaded through Spencer's corn-silk locks and they broke for air a few seconds later.

"In a park? Hmm, well – it certainly wouldn't be the first time..." Brooke said, trailing her sentence off as nostalgia of their earlier sexual encounters flooded her veins. Spencer let her body drift into the same stream of consciousness as her girlfriend for a moment and then chuckled in response.

"I remember when I ended up getting a piece of tree bark in my back," Spencer said, her voice dropping to a husky purr that she knew drove the other girl wild.

"We did plenty for you to earn that. But you complained about it scarring and me being so kind to get it out and clean you up for at least a week. I was just being a good Samaritan," Brooke said, finishing the story for Spencer.

"Oh, please – you just wanted to get me home in our bed and have me topless so you could play nurse," Spencer said, eying the evident desire in the taller girl's green eyes.

"Guilty," Brooke said before brushing another sweet kiss over the blonde's full lips. Spencer sighed and crossed her arms as Brooke skated back a few inches, disconnecting their bodies. "I have to catch up to the energy ball before she skates into someone or something that's going to get her hurt. Are you going to be all right? With Aiden and all...because I swear, Spencer, if anything goes wrong, you text me and I'll find my way to you in two minutes."

"Two minutes? Slowpoke," Spencer said, teasing her girlfriend who rolled her eyes in response.

"I mean it, Spencer. I don't trust him," Brooke said, crossing her arms slightly, taking a more defensive stance. Or, at least – the best one that you could strike on roller-blades.

"You really shouldn't," Spencer said before placing a tender kiss on the pouting brunette's lips. "Now – you should go after Erin."

"Will do," Brooke said before gliding down the center sidewalk. She spun around gracefully and shot a goofy grin at her girlfriend. "I love you, by the way."

Spencer's heart skipped a beat – even though she didn't quite feel the same, those words from Brooke made her really happy for some reason. She smiled and rested one hand on her hip.

"I love you, too."

Brooke chuckled softly and opened her mouth as if to say something else, but then turned around and skated off.

Spencer shook her head at the brunette's playful nature and her blonde locks fluttered in the breeze. Spencer walked through the dewy green grass and looked back at Ashley's car from over her shoulder. She had a feeling that today she was going to be split in three directions – and it wasn't going to be fun for her.

Visits with Aiden were always stressful for the blonde, and she had no excitement whatsoever about meeting him. He always got on her nerves, and would constantly hound her about visitation rights for their daughter. In Spencer's mind – he had earned nothing from her and had no reason to be in Erin's life.

However, if there was even a glimmer of hope that saving his life would help him to come clean, Spencer was going to try. She owed that to her daughter, because she had always hoped in the back of her mind that Erin would one day have that father figure that all little girls should have. Aiden would be a good father if he grew up a little and got off the drugs.

Spencer was sure of that.

The mysterious brunette that Spencer had spent most of the previous evening with had plagued her thoughts since the goodbye kiss that never happened. Spencer recalled her smile, her laugh, her body, her walk – everything about that girl was a close equation to sex for the blonde, and she couldn't help but feel a little hot under the collar at the mere thought that Ashley could be just around the corner.

The blonde let her mind wander for a moment. She could turn around right now and perhaps see the glory of Ashley Davies – this time with the sunlight of a beautiful Southern California day shimmering on her lightly bronzed skin, the gentle breeze ruffling her hair. She would look like a supermodel. Spencer sighed.

Erin and Brooke were off rollerblading in this park. Brooke could easily run into Ashley. So could Erin. Not that it would matter as long as Spencer didn't run into them all at the same time. Aiden could also run into Erin and Brooke, which was a chance she had expected to take since the beginning.

She had to, after all – since Erin was so eager on coming to the park. Aiden would be cordial to the little girl and offer to take her on the swings. She'd go along willingly, because this was her Uncle Aiden - a good friend of her Uncle Glen that she loved so much.

She hadn't seen any of them in a while. Brooke had explained to Erin that her Uncle Glen was with the angels, since she was slightly more religious than Spencer and had a knack of explaining things to her daughter. They spoke a language that was elite to only the two of them – a secret society. And Spencer wasn't jealous, because Erin needed that. She needed that extra person to love and cherish her. To make her feel like she was the most special girl in the world.

Because she was.

Gods forbid if Aiden tried to snatch Erin from Brooke, though, without Spencer to mediate. Brooke did not like Aiden – not in the least. Spencer recalled for a moment the time when Erin was only 4 and Aiden had simply shown up on their doorstep. Brooke made a comment of how in the hell he found two nickels enough to rub together to pay for a cab to drive out to their quaint little suburb just to cause trouble.

Spencer had made the mistake of letting her girlfriend answer the door. Aiden had begged the girl to allow him to speak to Spencer because he wanted to see "their" daughter. At least once. He wanted to take her somewhere for lunch.

At the mere mention of the word "their," meaning his and Spencer's, Brooke had gone off the deep end. She had Aiden pinned underneath her, which was a slightly amazing feat considering their size difference and proceeded to beat the shit out of him until he barely walked away. The damages: three broken ribs, a broken collarbone, cheekbone, and nose. Spencer had paid for his medical bills reluctantly, and she and Brooke never spoke of the incident. Brooke was NEVER a violent person. It was truly a freak accident, and even if it wasn't, Spencer couldn't have said that she blamed her.

If Aiden had ever wanted to take Erin from her, Spencer would have done the same thing. Brooke saw herself as Erin's mother, too. Spencer didn't mind it, because in the back of her mind, she was certain that Brooke was the better parent for the little girl. She was more caring and attentive, and not nearly as cold. Spencer had biology on her side, but Brooke had always seemed to be more kid-friendly and maternal...

On the other side of the park, Brooke was skating around like a fool, looking for Erin.

It wasn't even that big of a park.

"Erin? Where are you, you big troublemaker?" Brooke called playfully, scanning the grassy area and watching the crowds of various people on picnics and dates around her. It was definitely a couple's paradise, and Brooke wished for a second that she and Spencer had this time to be alone.

She glided a few feet forward and completely passed where Erin was – evidently her vision wasn't as acute as she would have originally thought, or she was just too stressed to notice. The raven haired girl walked toward a girl that seemed to be friendly enough : a lithe brunette who was sitting alone atop a picnic table, smoking a cigarette.

Erin sauntered up to the girl, finding it slightly difficult to maneuver on grass in roller-blades, but managing at a half-walking, half-gliding pace. She stood in front of the picnic table and looked up at the brunette with her big blue eyes. She smiled a crooked half smile and dodged the smoke.

"Smoking gives you lung cancer," the raven-haired girl said to the brunette, breaking the girl's evident concentration. Instead of snapping at the girl, the brunette snuffed out her cigarette on the picnic table and tossed it aside, somewhere into the grass. She smiled down at the six year old and chuckled roughly.

"That it does," the girl said, looking into the girl's eyes and giving her a look of pure curiosity. "Hmm – you look sort of familiar. Like I've seen you somewhere before. Aren't your parents looking for you, little one?"

"My mommy's in a meeting, and Brooke will find me soon," the girl spoke up, completely ignoring both her mother's rules to NEVER talk to strangers. "Will you talk to me? I'm Erin."

"Of course, little one. Just until you get claimed, of course. I'm Ashley," the brunette replied, moving over to make room on the picnic table.

**A/N: **So, this is part one of a two part chapter. The second part will follow sometime this evening, because that would just be horribly cruel of me not to post both parts of one chapter in the same day, right? Horribly cruel. Yeah, that's what I thought. Your reviews keep me going, and they are all wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know what you think - I love feedback. It's kind of like Tinkerbell (or Rachel Berry) with applause. Really, it is. Let me know what you thought, and keep a look-out for part two!


	9. Chapter Eight B

Picnic tables littered the park, making a giant labyrinth. Unless you really knew where to find someone, you probably never would. After a while, even the green of the grass and the trees seemed to blend together into a giant mass of blurred color. You stopped seeing pavement, grass and trees. You even stopped seeing people after a while.

That's why Spencer liked this park. Her chances of running into the people she was trying to avoid were decent, at least.

"Spencer!" a voice called from behind her. Spencer cleared her sense and listened into the breeze, trying to distinguish the sound of the voice. Brooke? Erin? Aiden? Ashley?

"Spencer!" the voice called again. Lower, slightly shaky – male. Aiden Dennison. Spencer sighed in relief. No getting caught for Spencer today. She turned around and gave a halfhearted smile at the boy.

"Aiden," Spencer said in the smarmiest voice that she could muster. He smiled kindly and caught up to her.

"Don't look so happy to see me," the boy replied, catching onto the blonde's reluctance.

"I'm not," Spencer replied bluntly, dropping her disguise once he shattered it. Despite the impoliteness of what she had just said, Spencer just did not see a point in keeping up false pretenses when it was completely obvious to the second party that you were lying. "Brooke and Erin are here, and I'm planning on enjoying a nice day in the park with my family. Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

Aiden paused for a minute and looked down at the grass, the green bleeding into his eyes. This was a technique that he usually did to gather his thoughts. Most girls got all weak-kneed over it – Spencer just found it annoying.

After a few moments, he looked up and gazed into her eyes. He shoved his hands into his pockets, burying them in dirty denim and swayed back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"So, I wanted to thank you for agreeing to my plan. I know that I could probably have just been a royal asshole and asked you for money – but I want to come clean. Paying her off now would probably only make me want to spend more money on more drugs, and I'm done with that life. Your brother's...Glen made me realize that I have to live. For Erin," Aiden said, his eyes showing a glimmer of sincerity despite his tremors from further withdrawal.

Though he still and would always retain his handsome appearance, he did not look well. Spencer didn't know much about drugs, but he looked like he was coming off almost a week of withdrawal, and perhaps a little more.

"So, instead of money – you hit me up to sell my body to a murderous drug dealer? That's a perfect way to dodge the questions of morality and my brother's memory, Aiden," Spencer snapped slightly. She did not apologize, despite the hurt that flared in the boy's eyes.

"I know it's a terrible plan. I'm telling you right now that you can back out. I'll take my punishment like a man," Aiden said, slightly puffing out his chest. Spencer glared and him and fought back a cough.

"You stopped being a man when you couldn't afford to pay child support and bought drugs instead. You stopped being a man when you abandoned Erin," Spencer said icily.

Aiden nodded ruefully and cleared his throat in response. Despite the harshness of her words, Spencer was correct.

"I know, Spencer. I don't think I'll ever be able to apologize enough. But I want to come clean. It only seems like the right thing to do, doesn't it? You've already made so many sacrifices for my sorry ass – it's time that I made some for the good of Erin," Aiden replied. "I can't stay long, though. It's not safe. So – I'll just give you her name and be on my way."

"Why isn't it safe, Aiden? It's a public park, and your three days aren't up. Today's day number one, in case you forgot how to count," Spencer said angrily.

"It just...isn't, Spencer. Believe me. Now, her name is..." Aiden said, inching closer to Spencer so his voice wouldn't be heard. "Ashley Davies. But don't go around spreading that name. As a matter of fact, never say it out loud. Because if she fucking connects me to you, then it's all over."

Spencer didn't hear the rest of his sentence, and not because of the volume he was speaking. Ashley Davies. Ashley Davies. _Her_ Ashley Davies – a drug dealer. _The_ drug dealer. The one who threatened Aiden's life. Spencer had to seduce _her_. Make her fall in love...

"Now, I have to get going, because she's in the fucking park, Spencer. It's _not_ safe. Here's a picture. I stole it from a friend of a friend," Aiden said, tucking a picture of the brunette into Spencer's hand and drawing her into a quick hug before scampering off across the grass, his running slightly crooked. Spencer looked down at the picture and gazed into those deep brown eyes that seemed to go on forever.

That warm smile...

That sweet voice...

That confident walk...

That shining blade...

This was her Ashley.

Spencer tucked the picture into the pocket of her pants as her mouth started feeling like cotton. Dry and arid. Spencer wanted to slump to the ground and start crying. She wanted to scream. She wanted to call this entire thing off, but she would know who murdered Aiden. Before – it was just a nameless, faceless enemy.

This enemy carried a charismatic, magnetic appeal that Spencer held close to her since their first meeting. It was so dangerous. Spencer swallowed hard and felt her knees start to give.

She walked over to the fountain, the park's centerpiece and took a seat on the cool brick of its structure. She listened to the water churning and tried to relax. Relaxation would not come to her. Now, she was truly lost.

Her enemy had a name, had a face – and it was beautiful.

Ashley Davies.

Ashley Davies.

Spencer considered throwing herself into the fountain for a second, and then changed her mind when her phone started vibrating rapidly. She pulled it out of her pants pocket and checked the caller ID. Brooke Springfield.

"Hey," Spencer answered.

"Don't kill me?" Brooke's voice responded to Spencer's greeting, slightly shaken.

"Never," Spencer choked out, hardly recognizing her own voice due to the shock she was suffering. She would be able to speak now about as well as one would be expected to speak after having a grand piano dropped from a ten story building right onto their head.

Right now, her voice had all the warmth and cheer of a corpse.

"I can't find Erin. I mean – the park's not that big, right? She can't have left it... I just keep... missing her. Right?" Brooke said, her voice sprouting the seeds of pure shame and worry. Spencer found it hard to play the calming figure and voice of reason at the moment, since she wasn't quite sure what reason the world could hold at the moment, so she decided to play the game that she had truly mastered.

Bullshit.

"Baby, it's fine. Erin will be fine, and everything will be fine. I'm done talking to Aiden, and it went surprisingly well. Let me just let you go, and we'll both look for her," Spencer said softly.

"Okay, okay. It's good to know that you're so calm about this. You're amazing, Spencer. I'll see you soon," Brooke said before the phone clicked. Spencer took in a shaky breath and tucked her phone back into her pocket. She stood on shaky knees and looked out among the vast expanse of colors and people – right now, she hated them all.

Spencer felt a slight twinge of guilt as she focused more on her situation than on her lost child.

"I am a terrible parent," Spencer said before taking off in one direction, knowing that she'd find Erin eventually. The girl wasn't stupid. She knew not to leave the park.

She was too loud to be kidnapped successfully, either. Silence and reservation wasn't exactly the six year old's forte, and at this moment – Spencer was glad for that.  
>"Erin!" Spencer called sharply, listening carefully as her voice broke the quiet conversational hum that surrounded the park.<p>

Just then, Spencer's heart dropped into her stomach. Home free. Brooke and Erin were standing in front of a large tree with a twisted trunk, and the little girl was gripping tightly onto Brooke's hand and moving in a back and forth line, signaling that she wanted to leave. Spencer eyed the situation carefully and surveyed her surroundings.

Brooke was talking to someone.

Spencer approached quickly, eager to get to her child and then spend the rest of the day with Erin and Brooke, pushing these horrible thoughts about Ashley and her plans with Aiden out of her mind. Good thing Aiden was gone and Ashley was no where to be seen. Out of sight, out of mind.

Brooke moved an inch to her right, due to Erin's hounding and pulling and revealing a familiar figure against the tree trunk. They were making small-talk, and as Spencer examined the female figure that her girlfriend was talking to, she found herself sinking into a pair of deep brown eyes.

She was drowning.

Ashley.

Ashley caught Spencer's gaze and opened her mouth as if to welcome the blonde over, then putting two and two together at the last moment and continuing her conversation with the other brunette without paying any attention to Spencer.

The blonde approached the scene, feeling a bit more secure now, even though she knew the truth about the blonde. Even if they were to act like partners in crime in this particular scenario, Spencer knew that it would never truly be the same between her and Ashley. The remnants of last night would be but a distant memory. A painful memory.

Spencer pushed them out of her mind and zeroed in on her family. Her child. She took Erin from Brooke and sheltered the dark haired girl in her embrace, looking down into her soulful blue eyes.

"I was worried about you. Brooke called and scared me. We didn't know where you were, Erin," Spencer said, keeping her voice in a scolding tone as her daughter let her eyes flicker down to the ground, a move that Aiden always showed – odd, since they had never been in that close of contact for her to be mimicking these moves. Spencer studied her and lifted the girl's eyes to hers. "Don't you ever think of doing that again."

"Mommy, I ran into Ashley. She was smoking, and I wanted to tell her that she'll die," Erin said innocently, giving Ashley a brilliant smile. Ashley smiled from Brooke to Spencer and then back to Erin.

"Oh, definitely. Smoking is bad. Your little tyke here might just have saved my life," Ashley purred with a charming smile. "Never lighting up again."

Brooke chuckled softly and looked over at Spencer who did not seem pleased in the slightest.

"You should know better than to just talk to any strange child. Someone might think you were a pedophile," Spencer said before dragging Erin off by the hand, her voice dripping with venom as she raced toward the car. Erin followed, sliding behind on her blades, and giggling slightly, not quite understanding what she had just done.

"What's a pedophile?" Erin asked, trying her best to pronounce the word.

Brooke looked back at the brunette and shrugged, watching Spencer leave in a huff with Erin.

"I'm sorry. I should go. Thank you for not... kidnapping her, at least," Brooke said before walking off after Spencer and Erin, jogging slightly and carrying her blades in one hand.

Ashley leaned her head back against the tree trunk and lit up a fresh cigarette. She inhaled deeply and let the smoke fill her mouth and lungs before breathing it out and making a few expert smoke rings. Clearly, she had been at this for a while.

"Spencer Carlin – this was an unexpected surprise. Charming family," Ashley said to no one as she closed her eyes and let the breeze wash over her as she enjoyed her nicotine rush and the feeling of adrenaline from her encounter with the sweet Carlin family.

Especially the child whose dark hair and blue eyes finally rang a bell to Ashley. She debated for a moment, if it might just be coincidental.

Girls like Ashley Davies didn't believe in coincidence.

**A/N: **That wraps up part two of this chapter! The next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Thanks for sticking with this story, folks! And just think - we're not even halfway through yet! I appreciate all the reviews so much. Can't wait to hear what you think, so let me know!


	10. Chapter Nine

Spencer got in the passenger seat of the Jeep and leaned back against the cushion. Erin sat in back quietly, except for a soft humming noise that she produced out of sheer boredom. She normally would speak up – but she knew better when her mother was angry. Erin tapped her foot absently against the back of the seat and stopped when Spencer grumbled at her to stop.

The little girl didn't quite understand why her mother was upset, but she didn't attempt to press. She didn't want to risk making the blonde angrier – and it seemed that her anger wasn't at Erin, which made the raven haired youth slightly more confused.

Erin perked up as Brooke approached the car and threw her blades beside Erin on the backseat. The brunette smiled warmly and gave Erin a peck on the cheek before standing up on side of the Jeep, pulling herself slightly up on the tilt bar and resting on the foot platform on the passenger's side and trying to gain the blonde's attention by swaying her head back and forth.

"Hey – psst...grumpy," Brooke said softly, hovering slightly before the blonde's ear. Spencer did not turn to look at her, and Brooke frowned. "Why are you taking this out on me, huh? It's not like I wanted to let her out of my sight, Spencer."

"Yeah, but you did – and she ran off and talked to a damn stranger. Obviously, you not going with her wasn't a good idea," Spencer snapped, looking at Brooke for a few seconds before moving her eyes forward again, staring at the windshield with an intensity great enough that if it were physically possible, Brooke was fairly certain that Spencer would have burned a hole through it.

"Well, it's not my fault that we were..." Brooke started out in an angry tone, lowering her voice to a hush when Erin gave her an odd look, "...busy."

"That's an excuse?" Spencer asked, turning slightly in her seat to face the brunette. Brooke's green eyes dug into Spencer's blue ones and she sighed.

"No, it's really not. I shouldn't have let her go off alone like that – you're right. So, I'm going to relax on the fountain until you've calmed down a bit. You're really just – terrible right now, Spence," Brooke said, her eyes betraying her hurt before turning to go to the fountain.

Spencer reached out, and by a force of sheer luck, she grabbed Brooke's left arm, causing her to spin back around. She said nothing, but simply asked a silent 'what?" with her facial expressions.

"I'm a jerk. I'm sorry," Spencer said softly, her eyes scanning Brooke and trying to soothe the hurt that she caused. Ease those rough edges. "You know how every day it seems like a child is hurt and kidnapped?"

"Wait..." Brooke said, walking to the back of her car and getting her iPod, handing it to Erin and letting her turn on the music. They waited for a few seconds until Brooke was satisfied that the younger girl had tuned out to the sounds of Disney and nodded for Spencer to finish...

"I'm just saying that I don't want my daughter to be one of those kids. One of those statistics and breaking news stories. Who knows who she could have wandered over to?" Spencer said, lying through her teeth. Truthfully, she just didn't want Brooke to talk to Ashley again. Ashley was dangerous. A drug dealer, and Spencer wasn't sure that Ashley would be able to keep Brooke in a safe conversation now that she knew her connection to Spencer. Who knew if Ashley was the jealous type?

"Spencer, maybe I just need some time to think, okay? There are a lot of things running through my head – things with you, and Aiden, and Erin. Things I'm trying to sort out. Would you just let me go?" Brooke asked, obviously struggling. Spencer debated for a moment on the moral thing to do vs what she felt like doing. Now, the moral thing to do would be to offer to help her girlfriend out with her problems, but Spencer mostly just wanted to go home and eat a pint of ice cream and listen to some Frank Sinatra.

A pause passed between them, as if Brooke knew the struggle that was going through Spencer's mind and was waiting for her to make the decision on what to do. Spencer sighed inwardly and told herself that there was no way that Brooke could know these things. Spencer's mind was a complicated place – worse than any fiction writer could dream up with more twists and turns than a good episode of Lost.

Rewind – Spencer played Brooke's last statement in her head again, and her eyes must have glazed over for just a second because she could almost see the concern grow in her girlfriend's eyes. She was waiting for Spencer's answer. Not a rhetorical question.

"We can't just leave Erin in the car. But – I wanna talk to you, babe. I want to sort things out," Spencer said, the words flowing from her mouth. Was that her real response? Was that the real Spencer talking? Spencer smiled halfheartedly and Brooke flashed her a joyous grin in response.

"Well – goober here can play on the swings, and we can sit and watch so nothing abducts her and talk a little bit. Sort things out, like you said," Brooke said, moving toward the back of the Jeep before Spencer could respond and disrupting Erin's music by removing an ear-bud, the music it contained blaring out of its confines.

"Wha? I love this song," Erin said, her brows furrowed in a frown – Brooke's technique for disarray, unhappiness, or confusion.

"You're going to be DEAF by age ten!" Brooke half-shouted, speaking to the six year old like one would speak to an elderly person that was losing their hearing – slow and loud. Erin giggled and removed the other ear-bud, turning down the volume. "Mommy and I are going to talk about a couple things, and we're going to let you play on the swings while we do it. But, first – I'd like to have a discussion with you. That is – if the swings don't call your name. Can you hear them?" Brooke said, tilting her ear to the breeze and pretending to listen to the park's surroundings.

Erin smiled and Spencer rolled her eyes a little, unable to stop the smile from twisting her full lips.

"Hmmm..." Erin said, smiling playfully and listening to the breeze as well. "Okay, okay. I undrastand. Well – if you really feel that way. I 'spose. Kay."

Spencer and Brooke traded glances and chuckled at Erin's one-sided conversation with the "swings" that were in the distance.  
>"Cool! Brooke, Brooke!" Erin said, tugging on the brunette's arm to regain her attention now that she had looked away and was focused on the blonde in the passenger's seat of her car, corn silk hair flying around her perfect face, blue eyes locked onto her own.<p>

"Wha?" Brooke asked, shaking her head slightly and moving her gaze back to the six year old.

"The swings just said that you're pretty much the coolest person EVER and I can talk to you first. Convastations with cool peoples are important," Erin said with a goofy grin.

"Spencer, baby?" Brooke said, turning back to the blonde, who acknowledged her and Erin with a glance. "Meet me and Erin at the swings in twenty minutes? We have some talking to do."

"Important convastations," Erin said, smiling at her mother.

"Of course, baby. Twenty," Spencer said, looking down at the clock on her phone so she'd know when her twenty minutes would be up. Brooke leaned over the side of the car and kissed Spencer chastely since her daughter was walking and helped Erin out of the Jeep. Erin walked close to Brooke's side as they made their way toward the swings, and Spencer smiled.

The blonde felt a few waves of peace wash over her, seemingly out of nowhere and she found her Aviators that were sitting on the dashboard. She picked them up and blew small airborne particles off the lenses and slid them over her eyes, closing them behind the shades and leaned her head back against the seat.

Brooke walked Erin over to a picnic table across from the park where she had run into Ashley, and she noticed the girl looking around.

"Ashley was really nice. I don't know why Mommy was so mad. S'that what we're talkin' about?" Erin said, casting her bright blue eyes up at Brooke and displaying the confusion that they held.

"Sweetie – your mommy is having some problems in life right now. There have been a few things that have been bothering her, but they have nothing to do what happened today with you or anything against Ashley. Your mom was just worried, and that added to a lot of her stress," Brooke said calmly to the little girl as she knelt in front of her.

"Adult problems?" Erin asked quietly, hoping that she wasn't a real problem and Brooke wasn't just trying to sugarcoat. Brooke and Spencer had been Erin's only family since she could remember, because she almost never saw her grandparents or Uncle Clay. Erin knew that her Uncle Glen was with the angels, and she didn't quite understand why Brooke and Spencer disapproved of her Uncle Aiden, who wasn't really her Uncle – but had always been so nice and could push her really high on the swings.

"Yeah, honey – adult problems," Brooke said, brushing a strand of messy black hair out of the girl's face.

"Is Uncle Aiden in love with Mommy? Is he going to marry her? Where will you go?" Erin asked with a childlike innocence to her husky voice. "Don't ever leave me and Mommy, Brooke. I would cry until I'm your age..."

"Erin, honey – I'm _never_ leaving you and your mother. I love you both so much. Actually – it's funny that you would mention marriage...because I wanted to know if you wouldn't mind me being your other real mommy," Brooke said, hoping that the other girl would understand what she was talking about. Erin had always been very intelligent and good with adults, since she had never been around too many children her own age.

"You mean – you want to marry Mommy? And... adopt me?" Erin said, arching an eyebrow as her voice took on a glimmer of what seemed to be joy and excitement.

"I would like that very much, Erin. If you want me to, and of course, if your mommy agrees," Brooke said, taking on an excited smile of her own.

"YES!" Erin said, squealing with happiness. "We can go surfing every single day, and maybe I can have a little brother or sister – to play with. We can teach them how to surf, too, 'cause I'll be older and smarter...are you going to buy Mommy a pretty ring?"

"I already did, baby. Wanna see?" Brooke said, reaching in her board short pocket for a black velvet box and opening the lid. Inside was a gorgeous sapphire ring on a white gold band with two diamonds around each side of the gem that was cut like an oval. Simple, classic, but beautiful. She hoped that Spencer would like it.

"Safears! Her favorite!" Erin exclaimed, her eyes swelling at the sight of the ring.

"Yeah – sapphires. She said that they match your eyes, and that's why she loves them. I think you and your mommy have the prettiest eyes..." Brooke said, giving Erin a small smile.

"Well, I'm going to go swing now. Oh, and when Mommy says yes, and you two kiss like in the movies, I'll look away. Promise," Erin said before scampering off to the swings. Brooke chuckled softly and tucked the ring back into her pocket and re-fastened the Velcro. She stood up and ran a hand through her windblown brown locks. She glanced at her watch and then looked down the center of the park. Sure enough, Spencer was walking her way – right on time.

"Here goes nothing," Brooke said with a sigh before walking toward Spencer and smiling. Hopefully she was in a better mood after having some alone time to sort through the muddled thoughts in her head. Brooke knew from experience that a little quiet time always did Spencer a world of good when things got crazy.

"Hey, you," Spencer said in greeting to Brooke before wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist and kissing her soundly, catching the other girl a bit off-guard. After a few minutes, they broke, and Spencer glanced over Brooke's shoulders, her heart feeling much less anxious after seeing her daughter playing on the swings in plain sight just a few feet away.

"Hey, yourself. Shall we go sit down and talk? Erin's right there – we can keep an eye on her from over here..." Brooke said, pointing to another large tree. Spencer nodded and smiled, sitting down on the soft grass. Brooke lowered herself down to where Spencer was and kissed her softly, resting her back against the large trunk.

Spencer watched Erin for a second, giggling and swinging back and forth, trying to cut through the air and push herself to the limit. She glanced back over to Brooke, who was fiddling with something on her pants, either trying to fix or hide something. Spencer's mind raced, and she couldn't help but feeling a little nervous. She decided to tread gently. Brooke never kept things from her.

"Spill something, baby?" Spencer asked softly.

Brooke snapped out of her motions and looked at Spencer, placing her hands in an awkward position to clearly cover something and tried to keep Spencer's gaze on hers a little too desperately.

"Umm – nope. No spills. No messes here. I'm not a klutz," Brooke said with a nervous chuckle. "No, ma'am."

Spencer glanced just to the left of Brooke's hand, and noticed something that was different now that they were sitting and her view of the brunette was unobstructed.

"What's in your pocket?"

**A/N: **DUN DUN DUN! So, I'm thinking of posting one today and _two _tomorrow. Does that work for you guys? This chapter is longer than Ch. 10, so if I post 10 and 11 tomorrow - that should even it up a bit, also it won't keep you _that _much in suspense. Kind of. And, somebody asked if there was a place where this is posted in its entirety. The answer to that is - yes, there is. But you wouldn't want to do that, would you? That would be cheating. _Also_, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I'm much better at spelling now than I was three years ago when I wrote this, so I'm correcting odd mistakes and grammar as I go, so this is like the new and improved version, anyway. Logic good? We're cool? Let me know what you think! I'm always happy to read your comments.


	11. Chapter Ten

Brooke eyed Spencer and suddenly shot her eyes down to the green grass, her nerves overpowering her as she bit her bottom lip – Spencer wasn't supposed to see that. She wasn't supposed to call her out so soon, and Brooke now had to explain everything. Brooke's hand moved up to her shoulder blade length wavy brown hair and ran her fingers through it for a moment, collecting her composure.

"Umm – funny thing, that," Brooke said, still not able to meet Spencer's searing blue eyes. How would she react? Would she run scared? Their relationship definitely hadn't been in the best of places recently, and she was nervous to do anything that could make Spencer nervous. Brooke didn't want to make the girl run.

"Brooke," Spencer stated plainly, moving closer to the brunette and cupping the girl's lightly freckled face with her hand, stroking her thumb over Brooke's high cheekbones. Spencer dipped two fingers under Brooke's chin and slowly tilted the nervous girl's face up to hers – locking their eyes in an intense gaze. That question had clearly been the wrong one to ask. "Baby, just tell me what's going on."

Brooke smiled a little brighter at this name Spencer sometimes called her and Spencer moved her hand away, now that she had Brooke's gaze and held it steady. Spencer was nervous as well, because Brooke had proven to be completely unpredictable at times, and the blonde had no fathomable idea what the girl could possibly be about to do or say. Spencer thought her spontaneity was amazing, although sometimes what her crazy idea or joke would send Spencer into uncertainty.

"Well, honestly – when I started planning this entire...thing, I had a whole speech in mind. I was going to sort of run the idea by you first to gauge your reaction and then just – dive in. It's a whole process," Brooke rambled nervously.

"Process?" Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow. Brooke frowned in response to this and began to fiddle with the Velcro pocket on her shorts again, not even bothering to hide the bulge of some square object inside the material.

"Yeah – big process. You know I love you, right?" Brooke asked, sighing after she did and clearly thinking that this was a stupid question to ask.

"Of course I know that," Spencer said with a sweet smile and sideways tilt of her head as she gazed at the brunette that was positioned awkwardly in the grass. Her hands ran over the green blades and she twirled them in her agile fingers, abandoning her pocket for a moment.

"And I know you feel the same – don't you?" Brooke asked, searching Spencer's eyes for the honesty she knew she would see. Unfortunately, Spencer was good at forcing it in there, and she did this with her answer. She wanted to love Brooke completely, and part of her did love Brooke. She just wasn't sure if she was completely in love with Brooke. For all reasons, she should be – Brooke was an amazing parent, friend, caretaker, lover, and girlfriend...but there was still something missing. Some missing particle that kept Spencer from crossing that line between love and being in love.

Spencer hated herself for it.

"I do," Spencer said – wondering if perhaps this was the wrong way to respond with a yes. Those words were equated with a commitment that was far beyond where she was ready to go – where her comfort level would take her. She had thought before about marrying Brooke and letting the girl adopt Erin. Erin would love it, and maybe that bond between them would make Spencer cross the line. She could abandon her inhibitions and just go for everything she had been running from.

But she knew that neither she or Brooke were really ready for a commitment that large, and it calmed her down a little bit. There was time to get into that. Later.

"That's really comforting to hear. I needed that," Brooke said with a sigh.

Spencer smiled and noticed a small blade of grass that had landed in Brooke's hair. The blonde scooted slightly closer to Brooke and moved her hand to Brooke's soft brunette locks and pulled out the piece of grass, tossing it aside. Brooke smiled and said a soft thank you before meeting Spencer's lips to hers. They kissed passionately for a few moments, and then Brooke took the liberty to see if Erin was watching. She had moved to another swing set that wasn't facing them so she wouldn't be spying – just as she promised.

The brunette circled Spencer's waist with her strong arms and flipped her onto her back in the grass. Spencer giggled softly and sighed as Brooke got on top of her, connecting their lips in another heated kiss. Spencer slipped Brooke a little tongue, which sent the brunette into a soft moan, before she responded by sucking the blonde's tongue into her mouth, tasting Spencer. She never wanted Spencer's taste to leave her mouth.

Her hands traveled up Spencer's sides and her thumbs stroked over her hipbones, paying gentle attention to the soft skin that covered them. Spencer squirmed a little under her lover and then arched up into Brooke, pressing their breasts together. Brooke smiled down at the blonde and moved a strand of blonde hair out of Spencer's face and kissed that part of her forehead where it had been resting before it was moved. Spencer smiled brightly and claimed Brooke's lips again, their kisses heating up to the point of imminent explosion.

Spencer could feel the familiar ache start between her thighs and she moved her hands to cup Brooke's ass and pull the brunette just a little closer to her. Brooke moved her lips to Spencer neck and nipped right over her racing pulse, causing another louder moan to erupt from the blonde's lips. Brooke kissed gently up to Spencer's ear and sucked her earlobe into her mouth, pulling away by tugging with her teeth softly.

"We can't have sex in the park," Brooke explained to Spencer.

"We can make out, though. Can't we? You want to, don't you?" Spencer asked inquisitively, hoping that the brunette wouldn't stop. Another thing that she craved when she was having a bad day was sex, but she knew that there was no way she and Brooke could be subtle in a public park with her daughter just thirty feet away.

"Of course I want," Brooke said before crushing her lips back to Spencer's. Spencer wrapped her arms around Brooke's slender waist and rubbed their bodies together, hearing that faint moan of euphoric bliss stream from her lover's lips as she started to fuel the fire inside the brunette.

Brooke's kisses continued up Spencer's neck and back to her ear, where she delivered a husky whisper.

"When we get home, we're going to retire to bed..." Brooke said, not even posing it as a question. A good thing, because the blonde had no intentions to argue. It had been too long since they had done anything of this nature, and this was the most physical contact that had been through with each other in at least two months.

"That sounds amazing," Spencer sighed, letting the feel of Brooke's lips on her sensitive neck wash over her and send heated chills through her body, sparking goosebumps on her flesh. Brooke really was talented. Always knew how to touch, how fast or slow to take the pace, and just where Spencer needed her. The only thing they lacked physically was the newness of a passionate relationship. That fire that first erupts when you get together – the insecurity that is only accented by raging hormones and desire. Spencer wondered what sex would be like with Ashley – those talented hands, those full lips. Spencer could feel the danger and poisons the girl radiated sink into her veins and fill them, and it felt good. Spencer was lost in the high of thoughts of Ashley fueled by the attention from her girlfriend.

Spencer also still wanted to know what Brooke had in her pocket.

It was a low blow, but Spencer decided to go for it. She ran her hands down Brooke's hips and smoothed them along her feminine, but subtle curves, to her hipbones. Spencer pressed her kiss-bruised lips against Brooke's and kept her there as her fingertips reached the opening of Brooke's pocket – it wasn't completely closed. Spencer opened it just as she plunged her tongue into Brooke's mouth and took out the box that was inside. The case was velvet, and Spencer couldn't see the color. She wrapped her hand around it and tucked it into her hand before ending the kiss and pulling back slightly.

"I got the mystery item," Spencer said to Brooke, who looked horrified.

"Umm – Spencer, please give that to me. You really shouldn't," Brooke said as Spencer pulled away from her slightly, a sly smile gracing the blonde's gorgeous face.

"Shouldn't what?" Spencer said, opening the box without even looking down at it to see what she was opening. Brooke held her head in her hands as Spencer pulled the now open ring box up to her face and saw the engagement ring inside. Brooke peeked through her fingers at the shocked expression on Spencer's face.

"Marry me?" Brooke said once she was certain that Spencer had given the ring a good look.

Spencer's eyes went wide and she felt like her hand was on fire. Spontaneity was so not a good trait to have.

**A/N: **I'm in a good mood. Figured I'd post more. Yeah, that's it. Now I have to go work on my screenplay that is supposed to be finished on the 30th. However, I've been procrastinating on that because scientific research that must be completed for a grade waits for no one. Wish me luck, and I can't wait to read your reviews! Also, more tomorrow!


	12. Chapter Eleven

"I can't."

Brooke furrowed her brows and looked at Spencer. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her – like she had been in a boxing match and lost. Some Titan had stolen her thunder, and she felt her eyes burn with sharp pangs of new tears. She would not let Spencer see this weakness, so she looked away.

"Why not?" Brooke said, her normally husky voice getting slightly higher in range and breaking at the edges. She sounded like a whimpering kitten when she spoke. Spencer closed the box and set it beside Brooke, on the grass and patted it gently before attempting to take the brunette into her arms. Spencer wanted to whisper her apologies and try to explain to Brooke how she normally would have wanted to, but with the disarray that their relationship had been in lately, along with her constant struggles with her dead brother, and insecurities about her feelings on life and the world in general – including where Brooke's place in her heart was, marriage didn't seem like a logical response.

"It's not a definite no, Brooke," Spencer said, moving to cup the brunette's face. Brooke moved away much like an abused animal and didn't speak. Her gaze shot daggers into the grass, and she pulled her knees up to her chest. Spencer would not try to touch her again. "It's more of an 'I don't know.' I need time. That's my answer."

"It feels like a no, Spencer. And I mean – if you don't think it's time, I suppose I can understand. But I just want to be part of Erin's life, and a permanent piece of yours. I love both of you, and Erin – well, I asked her, and she wants me to adopt her," Brooke said, trying to keep the hurt and rising anger than came with confusion out of her voice. Spencer didn't deserve harsh words and anger. Not then.

"You spoke to Erin about this?" Spencer said, her voice almost monotonous and completely void of any emotion.

"I did. I showed her the ring and asked her what she thought of me being a permanent part of both of your lives. Adopt her, and marry you. She was ecstatic, Spencer. I've never seen her so happy. But it's not her decision – or mine. It's yours," Brooke said, deciding to tread lightly since moments when Spencer dead-panned, like this one usually meant that she was getting into volatile territory. Spencer had never used to be so unpredictable with her emotions, but since Glen's death, she had been like a ticking time bomb that went off several times at completely random intervals. One never knew quite what to expect.

"How could you?" Spencer said, her voice progressing straight to anger. Brooke gripped the grass slightly and braced herself for the fallout. She had a feeling this was going to be a good one. Like a good soldier, Brooke put on her emotional armor and sat still, allowing Spencer to continue with her harsh judgements and misplaced anger. "That is _my_ daughter, Brooke. Not yours. She loves you, sure – but I am her mother. How dare you even ask her about making things that permanent without even _speaking_ to me? You put these ideas in her head, and they can only lead to disappointment for her."

"They only lead to disappointment for her if you say no, Spencer!" Brooke said, her voice breaking as she took a shot of her own.

"I didn't say no!" Spencer screamed. Brooke felt like Spencer had suddenly transformed into a lion and decided to roar at her, the wind from her mighty bellow washing over Brooke's flesh and making her feel slightly cold. Icy. The wind chill had affected her heart.

"Why don't you? You're going to anyway," Brooke said before standing up and walking back toward her car to brood. Spencer watched the tall brunette walk away, her long chestnut hair blowing around her and sighed. She hit her head against the thick tree trunk behind her a couple times and felt herself hoping that she'd suffer some kind of brain trauma that would make her normal.

The breeze swept through the park and sent a shiver up Spencer's spine once it connected with her warm skin. She tuned in for a moment and heard soft applause coming from behind her. Her ears perked up, and her blue eyes darted around.

"Who's there?" Spencer called out softly, her voice taking on a defensive tone.

"Just your friendly park voyeur and pedophile, blondie," a familiar voice said, snaking around the trees before the figure it belonged to followed, taking a seat beside the blonde.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Spencer rasped, slightly shocked to see Ashley Davies sitting beside her. Ashley rested her chin on her hands and shot the blonde a friendly, mock-innocent smile.

"Me? Never! I was totally watching, though – and let me tell you – hot," Ashley replied, chuckling softly when the blonde's eyes went ridiculously wide with shock and partial horror.

"If you were watching, then you had to be listening. Smart ass," Spencer said, feeling slightly glad to be in Ashley's presence despite the fall-out she just had with Brooke and the new information she had obtained about the girl. However, she wasn't supposed to be running – she had promised Aiden, and now seemed as good a time as any to start working.

"Brooke seems nice enough," Ashley said gently, picking up the velvet box that was partially hidden by slightly overgrown grass and smoothing the case with her hands.

Spencer watched Ashley's hands carefully as she started tossing the box with her engagement ring from hand to hand, seeming to completely overlook the fact that it probably cost a small fortune and meant the world to her girlfriend. Spencer sighed inwardly at the realization that Ashley definitely didn't care about Brooke, and was just trying to be belligerent toward the things she had just seen and heard – get under Spencer's skin just a little deeper. It wasn't bad enough that she already plagued Spencer's mind, but she wanted to poison the rest. Aiden was right – Ashley Davies was dangerous.

"Brooke's great," Spencer finally replied, still keeping her eyes on the ring that was being juggled with the least bit of care. She was waiting for Ashley to fumble.

She never did.

"Great doesn't seem like what you want, though," Ashley said, starting to look up at Spencer while playing with the delicate box. "What do you want, Carlin?"

"I want a good, nice life for me and my daughter. Isn't that what a good mother should want?" Spencer said, finally feeling the confidence to look over at Ashley and hold her steady gaze.

"I wouldn't know what the fuck a good mother should want. But it's not about me. And, if you're not a filthy liar, and you really do want a 'good, nice life' then it seems that the little surfer girl would be the best option," Ashley drawled out, leaning back against the trunk, getting closer to Spencer. She stopped tossing the box and handed it to Spencer. Spencer took it, not quite understanding what the brunette was trying to pull, but wanting to save the ring from her evil clutches.

"You'd know all about filthy liars," Spencer said pointedly, making the accusation as playful as she could muster even though she meant every word. Ashley raised an eyebrow and her eyes darkened – leaving Spencer feeling threatened and uncomfortable. After a moment, Ashley started laughing and rested her hands on her toned stomach.

"The look on your face!" Ashley said, not denying the "filthy liar" bit at all. At least she was honest about her dishonesty, if that made any sense.

"You intimidate the hell out of me," Spencer said candidly.

"I intimidate a lot of people. Gets me whatever the fuck I want, blondie," Ashley said before sending the blonde a charming smile.

"What do you want, Ashley Davies?" Spencer asked, tilting her head to the side and letting her interest show in her eyes. For some reason, she couldn't disguise herself around Ashley.

"Well," Ashley started, leaning in toward Spencer's lips with her own and overwhelming the blonde with her unique scent – DKNY Green Apple and tobacco smoke combined with a hint of cinnamon as those full lips moved closer to her own. "Right now, I'd very much like to enjoy a nice day in the park with Miss Spencer Carlin."

"I don't know if Brooke and Erin would approve," Spencer murmured softly, wanting those lips to touch hers more than anything.

"Your daughter's a real sweetheart," Ashley mumbled, keeping her dark gaze tuned onto Spencer's full lips. "And Brooke doesn't deserve you. She's too fucking good..."

With this, Spencer pulled back like she had been stung. Was that an insult?

"Excuse me?"

"Don't twist your panties, blondie. I meant that she's too good – emotionally. She's a good, kindly soul. Fucking angelic. You don't like that, do you?" Ashley said, moving back toward Spencer, a wild look in her eyes. "You like things to be rough and wild – dangerous. That's why you and her don't have the same passion, that fire. She's too good, and while she might be an expert at playin' house, you don't go for the sweet sweet lovin'."

"How do you know me?" Spencer asked, knowing that Ashley hit the nail right on the head. She hit hard, and Spencer was enthralled. Ashley hovered her lips right under Spencer's ear, her breath tickling the blonde's neck as her hand found Spencer's knee.

"I don't know you, blondie. I know your type. The unsatisfied housewife. You were right to turn her down, y'know," Ashley purred gently.

"I'm no housewife," Spencer protested weakly. Ashley's close proximity and scent were overpowering and intoxicating. Spencer was drunk on their body heat, and she didn't plan to move an inch.

"I know how to dig into a girl, Spencer. Find things she didn't know about herself. Give her a good pounding she'll never forget and let her keep the pesky thoughts of who she used to be in a fucking cage," Ashley explained. "Let me free you..."

"What if I'm not meant to be freed?" Spencer asked. Her voice was light and airy – Spencer didn't recognize herself. She didn't recognize these feelings or thoughts racing through her mind. She didn't understand her body and the reactions it was having. She felt explosive and tense...

"Every girl is meant to be freed – they just have to find the right set of hands to pick the lock," Ashley said, allowing her lips to touch the nape of Spencer's neck. Spencer felt like she'd been shot. The initial shock overwhelmed her for at least a minute of silence after Ashley pulled her lips away.

They had only been touching for half a second.

"Do the girls know when they've found the right one?" Spencer asked softly and meekly. She wanted to beg Ashley to put her hands and mouth back on her. She wanted to beg Ashley to take her somewhere – to allow her to abandon all hope and reclaim the physical fire that she had been missing for so long – perhaps forever.

"They definitely should know," Ashley whispered, her voice humming and floating over Spencer's skin. Spencer moved a little closer to Ashley, initiating the first move this time, and Ashley stood up. Spencer grabbed the ring box in her hand, to make sure that Ashley wouldn't steal it and run away to make her point. She was a criminal, after all.

"Ashley, wait!" Spencer said gently after she found her own voice. Ashley crossed her arms and smiled slowly, looking down at the shaken blonde.

"Yes, Spencer?"

"Why are you leaving?" Spencer asked, noting the disappointment and slight hurt that her voice carried of its own free will.

"Right now, there is nothing more to be said," Ashley informed the blonde.

Before Spencer could respond to her simple statement, Ashley was already walking at a brisk pace away from her: ten feet, twenty feet. Spencer would have called after her, but Erin was close by, and Brooke could be coming back.

Why hadn't she been concerned about this earlier?

Because Ashley had her under a spell.

Her spell.

Spencer sighed and pressed her head back against the tree trunk. She spun the box in her hand and opened it. Inside was a small scrap of paper.

Neat penmanship relayed a simple message that made Spencer's heart soar.

_AD: 991-1456  
>Some risks are worth taking.<em>

**A/N: **And the plot thickens! I hope you all are still enjoying. I know the last few chapters haven't been the most "Spashley" heavy, but don't worry - this story is still a Spashley one. I love that pairing, even in incredibly, horribly AU universes like this one I've created. It still doesn't necessarily end happily, but Spencer and Ashley will have their time. Don't worry. Let me know what you think!_  
><em>


	13. Chapter Twelve

_Should I call the number? Is that safe?_

Spencer's brain was fighting a massive war with her heart. Sometimes it's funny when body parts conflict in such ways, and you feel that there's nothing to do but sit back and let them come up with plausible solutions of their own accord. A dangerous way of living, but evidently Spencer liked the danger and darker sides of life and love.

_Ashley seemed to think she knows me – knows what I desire and what makes my pulse race. She fucking makes my pulse race, and it's enough to make me blow my brains out. She's the unattainable, and it'd be wrong for me to actually strive to have her. Only to save Aiden's life. _

The blonde looked down at the flimsy piece of paper that Ashley had somehow managed to slip into the ring box without Spencer noticing. She re-read the brief message and number on the paper and then repeated this process at least twenty times, wanting nothing more than for the information she was presented with to someone sink past her barriers and make sense on a larger level. Right now, all she knew was raging hormones, and she was having difficulty denying them.

Spencer could feel herself dividing into two sections, just like children picking teams for soccer. There was the side that wanted to stay with Brooke and fix the problems. Brooke had always been so good for Erin, and Spencer could still taste the memories of long days in bed with Brooke, making love until neither girl could do anything else but sleep. Spencer's mind and logical reasoning skills stayed steadfast on this team.

The other side of Spencer was very much with Ashley. Every touch that was issued by this brunette Goddess, who Spencer firmly believed was more like a demon, sent shivers up, down, and sideways through her body and veins until all she could see, taste, or breathe was Ashley Davies.

Spencer's mind told her that it could not play for this team, because Ashley was destructive, murderous, and was involved with the very substance that took her brother's life and was kept in the hands of the girl who wanted to kill the father of Spencer's child, absent though he was.

This team held Spencer's most important organ – her heart.

_Am I a fool? Falling for Ashley Davies – the drug dealer. I'm a hypocrite._

Spencer's mind continued to give her the most unpleasant of thoughts until Spencer was sure that she would vomit from the overpowering nausea of too many wayward ideas. It was at this moment that Spencer decided that she needed to shut off her brain. She sank into the soft grass and watched Erin from a distance – giggling and playing on the jungle gym. Evidently, her six year old attention span caused her to abandon the swings.

The blonde smiled and got off the grass, tucking the velvet ring box deep into the pocket of her pants and walked over to Erin. The raven haired girl smiled immediately and ran over to Spencer, wrapping her little arms around the blonde's waist and giggling like a fool.

_Of course Brooke loves her. Who wouldn't? She just wants to be a part of her life. I know that if I were in Brooke's position, I'd want to be Erin's other mommy as well. She's pretty much an angel._

"Hey, baby. Did you have fun playing?" Spencer asked the little girl, who nodded her head at least ten times before brushing her hand over the bulge in Spencer's pocket that held the small velvet box.

"Some jerk stole my swing, and I wanted ta beat the crap outta him, but you'd be so mad. So I played on the jungle gym," Erin said plainly, her big blue eyes looking up at Spencer.

"That was very mature of you, Erin," Spencer replied as she grabbed the little girl's hand and started to walk back toward where Brooke's Jeep was parked.

_-Ashley's probably gone by now. Which means I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder. I'm pretty sure she's done appearing out of nowhere for one day._

"Mommy, where did Brooke go?" Erin said softly.

"She went back to the car, honey. I think she was all tired from looking for you earlier," Spencer lied, hoping that the girl wouldn't press into the situation any further like she had a tendency to do. At the mention of the word 'tired,' Erin stifled a yawn and looked up at Spencer with sleepy eyes. Spencer smiled softly and picked Erin up, letting the little girl wrap her legs sideways around Spencer's waist so she wouldn't have to walk anymore.

"We be home soon?" Erin said, yawning again. The sign of fatigue was clear on the girl's face, and Spencer thought it was completely adorable.

"Soon, baby," Spencer responded as they approached the Jeep.

"Sleepy, Mommy," Erin said before stifling another mighty yawn, but barely. Spencer kissed her forehead and noticed that Brooke was no longer sitting in the Jeep. Spencer's eyes went wide, and she did her best not to draw this to Erin's attention or startle the little girl in her arms. She was almost asleep, and was incredibly exhausted.

_Where the fuck is she?_

Like a horse with blinders on, Spencer couldn't see just five feet to her left, where Ashley car was still parked. Brooke was standing with Ashley on the driver's side of her car, shooting the breeze and chuckling together like they had been friends for years. Spencer's ears heard the voices and laughter, and her eyes reached the sight – taking it in tentatively and trying to decide the best plan of reaction.

_I think the logical best thing to do would be to stay calm. But then again – that would be the proper thing to do if this was a logical situation, and it's really not. What the fuck do I do?_

Spencer racked her brain as quietly as she could, and tried to silence her rampant thoughts. Any louder, and she feared that they would be audible to the world around her, including her precious daughter.

The blonde moved toward the Jeep and placed Erin in the backseat, and the little girl managed to buckle herself in with some effort. The little girl mumbled some random musings under her breath before allowing her visibly heavy eyelids to slam shut. Spencer couldn't help but smile.

"So, I told him that I didn't want the green one, but he kept giving me all this petty bullshit..." Ashley said as part of her conversation with Brooke. Spencer had just tuned in, and she was watching both girls carefully. Brooke was laughing, and Ashley was being quite animated (a completely different form of Ashley Davies than Spencer was used to), and Spencer couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

The position of "outside looking in" had never been appealing to the blonde.

"Clearly, you didn't take the green one. This is fantastic," Brooke said, soundly slightly in awe as she looked over Ashley's convertible.

"Of course I didn't take the green one! I don't settle," Ashley said, taking that opportune moment to cast her eyes on Spencer. Spencer looked back at the brunette, but kept her face completely stony – emotionless.

Ashley looked back over at Brooke, deciding to do nothing more than acknowledge Spencer. The blonde stood next to Brooke and wrapped her arm around Brooke's waist. She looked straight at Ashley and couldn't stop the smirk that traced her features when she caught wind of jealousy in Ashley's gorgeous dark orbs.

"Well – I wouldn't settle than anything less for a black car if that's what I wanted. Forest green just wouldn't look good on a car like this," Brooke said before looking over at her girlfriend and giving her a gentle, almost apologetic smile even though she really had done nothing wrong. Spencer stood a little closer to Brooke and laid her head on the girl's shoulder.

"I know, right! It really good. Those two just – don't fit together. The color and the car, I mean. What a horrible paint job for a Jag Roadster. So anyway, long story short – he gave me the black one, and I love it," Ashley said, finishing her story so she wouldn't make anymore slips of the tongue.

Spencer guessed they were intentional anyway.

Brooke looked over at Spencer and moved a little closer to the blonde, allowing Spencer to get that closeness Brooke sensed that she wanted, and Spencer caught an almost angry form of jealousy stir in Ashley's body.

_This could get dangerous. Time to leave._

"Brooke, Erin's really tired. We probably should be getting home," Spencer said, looking at Ashley and mouthing an "I'm sorry" where Brooke couldn't see. Their levels (Spencer's head on Brooke's shoulder) certainly helped this, and Ashley was good at playing it off like she didn't see anything, even though Spencer was certain that she did.

Brooke looked into the back seat of her Jeep where Erin was out cold and smiled warmly.

"Okay, baby. Ashley – it was fantastic meeting you, and thanks again for looking after Erin when she decided to pull her runaway stunt," Brooke said, offering her hand to Ashley. They shook hands, and Ashley looked at Spencer – forcing her to say something. The blonde stood up straighter and sighed before shaking Ashley's hand as well.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was completely out of line. I was just, you know, worried about my kid. That tends to put a lot of stress on someone," Spencer said, even though she knew the apology wasn't what Ashley wanted to hear.

_Anything else would raise suspicion from Brooke, and I really don't want that._

"We're gonna get going. Thanks again," Brooke said to Ashley before getting in the driver's seat of the Jeep and starting it up.

Spencer climbed into the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt. She looked at Ashley, who gave them a friendly wave.

"You ladies drive safe now. You've got some precious cargo in the back," Ashley said with a charming smile that sent Spencer into another frenzy. Good thing they were leaving, because she knew that there was no way she could handle any more of this. However, she only had two more days – she'd have to act quickly.

"We definitely do," Brooke said before casting a look at Erin and smiling. They pulled out of the parking space, and Spencer watched Ashley get into her car, start it up, and drive off the other way. She continued watching until the black convertible was out of sight.

"Brooke?" Spencer said, once her mind started thinking about something other than Ashley Davies. However, this happened when they were almost home.

"I know, Spencer. We should just forget about what happened earlier. It's probably for the best, because I don't want to fight with you anymore," Brooke said, keeping her voice down so as not to wake Erin.

"That's not what I meant at all," Spencer said with a gentle smile. She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Brooke's lips, and left the brunette with a goofy grin on her face when they parted. "We shouldn't forget it – but I have other ideas for us tonight that don't have to do with an engagement. That is, if you still want to."

_Why did you just do that? This isn't what you want. Well – not entirely, but it's what you both need to fix the holes you made earlier. You need this so you can complete the task at hand and make it easier. She won't wonder about your being away so much for the next few days if you make up tonight._

Spencer was planning to suddenly be 'working overtime' so she could spend the next two days with Ashley and complete her promise to Aiden. Backing out really wasn't an option, and strangely enough – Spencer didn't feel odd about it. She'd make up with Brooke tonight, and fix things once things with Ashley were taking care of.

_Are you just going to be able to let Ashley go when the two days are up, though? Is that even an option anymore?_

Of course it wasn't, but she had to try. They both got out of the car, and Brooke picked Erin up, following Spencer to the front door that the blonde opened.

"I'll meet you in our bedroom once I put her to bed, okay?" Brooke said softly. It was a yes, and Spencer couldn't help but feel slightly wrong about it. However, sacrifices had to be made sometimes, and they were usually never pleasant.

Spencer didn't want to use Brooke.

However, what she wanted and what she was going to do were starting to be completely different entities.

Spencer walked into their bedroom and took a look at herself in the mirror.

"I don't recognize you anymore," she said to her image softly before stripping off her shirt and heading to bed.

**A/N: **So, will she go through with it? This is a dangerous game they're playing... more drama to come! Thanks for the reviews. Let me know what you think! Almost halfway through, folks!


	14. Chapter Thirteen

The clock ticked by in a slowed litany – seconds, minutes. Spencer found herself listening to the silence of the room other that that ticking clock. Her mind was spinning with what was about to take place. Something normal, something that should be natural between two people who were supposedly in love and had been sharing a home and a bed for years.

Making love with Brooke had never bothered Spencer before. On the contrary, she usually enjoyed it. Brooke was a talented lover, and Spencer had never found herself wanting anything after they were done. Before – Spencer recalled never wanting it to end. The blonde laid back on her black satin sheets, the chill of them warming the skin of her bare back. She sighed and perked up her ears as footsteps raced down the hallway.

_So maybe I shouldn't be laying topless in bed..._

The blonde rolled onto her stomach and rested her chin on her hands, barely propped up on the pillows and hiding her breasts from plain sight. She was clad only in a pair of short black cotton shorts, and she knew that this would appeal to Brooke once she was done putting Erin down to bed. Spencer glanced over to the clock on their bedside table – it wasn't even late yet, 8:30.

_Why do I have the feeling that it's going to be a long night?_

Spencer looked over her shoulder and saw that their bedroom door was closed, and she debated for a moment whether she should open it up a crack so Brooke would know that Spencer was ready for her to come in. The blonde ran a semi-shaky hand through her golden locks and smoothed her hair out over her shoulder. Her mind continued to race, never slowing – speeding up, if anything, as she thought out all the events of the day that she would remember for quite a while as Hell incarnated.

Ashley was going to make her life much more difficult.

Spencer's eyes fluttered closed, feeling slightly heavy as exhaustion claimed her body. It had been a long race, and the events of the day were catching up to her. The blonde knew she had no time to rest, because she had promised Brooke a night to remember. She always kept her promises, and a small voice in the back of Spencer's head told her that she was doing the right thing. A part of Spencer did love Brooke, and did crave her. Their earlier make-out session in the park had gotten the blonde very heated up and ready for more.

Sadly, the sight and confrontation with Ashley Davies had smothered her passionate flame in ice water. Dry ice, perhaps – for in Spencer's mind, Ashley was so hot she could believably be cold to the touch. Spencer wouldn't mind that brunette burning her skin.

"What am I going to do about you, Ashley? Can you make the Devil fall in love in two days?" Spencer mumbled out loud just before the door opened. Spencer kept her eyes forward against the headboard, realizing that it was Brooke and feeling a slight quiver of desire from the anticipation. Despite her reluctance to give up her body for one night to secure her relationship, Spencer did want Brooke.

Who wouldn't?

Brooke had everything that Spencer found incredibly attractive: long brown hair that fell along her shoulder blades in loose, messy waves, deep green eyes that were comparable only to the most expensive emeralds, a toned bronze body, long legs, and a husky voice that used to send Spencer over the edge just by saying a few choice words of sexual intent.

Spencer listened for Brooke's voice – a comment or statement that she was glad to see her, and within moments, the brunette spoke from behind her after closing their bedroom door.

"Not every day a girl walks into her bedroom and sees a goddess laying in wait on her bed," Brooke said softly. Spencer could feel her green eyes wandering over her body, and blushed slightly, causing her body to shiver slightly as her full breasts pressed into the satin sheets.

"I'm glad you approve," Spencer said softly, her voice echoing out like a sexy purr.

"Baby, I always approve," Brooke said, taking a seat on the bed beside Spencer. Her hands ran along the sheets, but did not touch Spencer's skin until Spencer moved into her touch.

"Brooke, please..." Spencer moaned out softly, giving the brunette permission to touch. As much as Spencer knew she would regret doing this for anyone but herself, she found her body truly wanting it. Her heart would be soon to follow.

There were no more words spoken between them. Brooke flipped Spencer onto her back and climbed on top of her. Brooke's lips met Spencer's, and both girls erupted in a passionate, longing moan.

"Erin's asleep?" Spencer asked as she ran her hands to the bottom of Brooke's shirt and started to pull it off.

"Asleep," Brooke clarified as she helped Spencer pull of the cotton shirt, exposing her breasts so her figure matched Spencer's nudity. The blonde trailed her hands down to Brooke's breasts and cupped them gently, running her thumbs expertly over the brunette's stiff nipples. Brooke moaned softly and lowered her lips to the nape of Spencer's neck, finding shelter and solace there.

"I love you, Spencer," Brooke mumbled softly as her hands found the waistband of Spencer's shorts, tugging them down to expose the rest of the girl's body.

"Love you, too," Spencer said quickly, needing to dispose of the words as Brooke's hands smoothed over her stomach, as if to heal any wounds that had collected somewhere under the surface. Brooke was good at concealing Spencer's invisible pain, although she never was able to completely rid the blonde of her injuries.

They would sink a little further under the surface and Spencer would forget them for a little while, only to have them resurface a few months later.

It was a constant routine with them, and while Spencer's body could feel the pleasure and absorb this physical love that Brooke gave her, she didn't feel fully satisfied.

Brooke sat up slightly and kissed Spencer tenderly. If Brooke would have been with any other girl, she surely would have melted from the sweetness of the kisses. Spencer was incapable of this, for years of pain, betrayal, and false emotions caused her to be marble.

She walked through life as a marble figurine – beautiful, solid, breathtaking, and a work of art. However, she was a rare statuette, surrounded by velvet ropes that told those who took the time to look not to touch. Brooke was able to touch simply because Spencer wanted to keep her around, and she was entitled to certain things.

_She puts up with my bullshit, so she gets me in return. She's really getting a bum deal._

Spencer locked onto Brooke's green eyes for a moment and took a deep breath – this was what she wanted. What they both needed. Brooke took off her own shorts and pressed her naked form against Spencer's – skin to skin.

The heat surged between them, and both girls sighed with utter contentment. Brooke's hands wandered lazily over Spencer's curves as the blonde willingly opened her legs for the brunette to touch.

Brooke kissed along Spencer's jawline carefully, nipping at certain areas that she knew drove the blonde wild with want. She succeeded in this maneuver as Spencer let out a loud whimper, urging her girlfriend's hands lower. Brooke's fingers brushed over damp blonde curls before moving between Spencer's legs completely, rubbing her clit lightly with her thumb and index fingers.

Spencer's hips bucked up at the first contact to her sex, and her head tilted back against the pillows. Brooke's lips scoured her throat, reveling in the vibrations of the noises Spencer was making.

"Ooh, that feels so good..." Spencer moaned out.

_She is damn good in bed. At least there's that, right? That's something worth staying for.  
><em>

Brooke smiled at Spencer, locking onto her eyes once more and keeping Spencer securely in the moment as her fingers traced lightly over Spencer's nether regions, the blonde's wetness coating her fingers before giving the blonde a careful look, checking for a last sign that she might want to turn back.

There was none.

Brooke slid two fingers easily inside Spencer's tight channel before curling her fingers up against the blonde's g-spot, relishing in the gasp and moan combination that left her girl's lips.

"Harder, baby," Spencer begged, her voice sounding distant, like the passion had completely consumed her toned body.

Brooke obliged by starting up a deep and hard rhythm she knew Spencer would enjoy, tracing her fingertips over Spencer's sweet spot to add more pleasure as the palm of her hand moved back and forth over Spencer's clit, sending the blonde into an orgasmic frenzy.

The brunette felt Spencer's walls contract around her fingers, and Spencer drew her in for a slow, fiery kiss. Brooke's body writhed with Spencer's on the bed as the rhythm increased, the satin of the sheets moving and flowing between them, their bodies perfect contrast – soft bronzed flesh on ebony satin.

Incendiary heat flowed between them as Spencer reached the pinnacle of her pleasure, the waves of orgasm crashing over her body and causing every muscle she had to tighten, clenching in patterns that she shared with her lover.

"Spencer, cum for me, baby," Brooke whispered softly in her ear. Spencer moved closer to Brooke, resting both hands on the brunette's back and lightly tracing her fingernails over Brooke's muscular shoulders. She knew that Brooke didn't mind her anchoring herself if need be during sex, but she didn't like being clawed.

Brooke's fingers searched deeper still inside Spencer, drawing out the blonde's pleasure as Spencer fell to pieces underneath her, obviously incapable of holding on for just a few more seconds. Brooke decided to bring her over, and curled her fingers up against Spencer's spot once more, holding them there and stroking soft clockwise circles purposefully over the sensitive area as their breasts and stomachs collided in a mass of swirling body heat.

Spencer gasped and moaned loudly as her body arched up into Brooke, their sweat mixing with the smell of Spencer's arousal flooding over over Brooke's fingers. Brooke held Spencer close with her hands, nuzzling the girl's neck as she came down from her euphoric peak, and Spencer sighed.

_That was a good way to make up, I think... maybe she'll be happy with that.  
><em>

The brunette pulled her fingers out of Spencer and licked them clean before Spencer pressed their lips together in a deep, exploratory kiss. The blonde moaned at the taste of her own nectar on her lover's lips as Brooke snuggled in beside her, both bodies humming with sexual release. Spencer ran her hands down Brooke's back in soothing patterns as they relaxed atop the seats.

"Wow..." Spencer purred softly as Brooke smiled brightly at her. The two girls shared another kiss before Spencer ran her hands down Brooke's strong body to her perfect ass. Brooke whimpered softly before Spencer collided their hips together, sparking the desire that had just been tamed with a single, swift motion.

"I need you..." Brooke murmured against Spencer's lips as the blonde flipped her onto her back.

Spencer straddled Brooke's hips and traced delicate lines around Brooke's full breasts before leaning down and taking one of the brunette's nipples into her mouth and sucking it greedily. Brooke moaned and brushed Spencer's blonde mane out of the way so she could watch and gently started stroking Spencer's lower back as the blonde devoured more of Brooke's pert breast.

Back and forth the blonde traveled, keeping the brunette writhing underneath her with a pleasureable teasing session that was making Brooke's head swim with lust.

Spencer ran her hand down the valley between Brooke's breasts and watched as the brunette shivered.

_I can do this. Hot girl. Everything's going to be fine. Just... go with autopilot, Spencer._

Her descent continued over a rock hard abdomen to Brooke's neatly maintained patch of dark curls. Right when Spencer was about to make the final motion, no more than an inch to where Brooke needed her most, the phone rang.

_Someone is looking out for me. Thank you, whoever you are._

"Please don't answer that..." Brooke begged. Spencer danced her fingers over Brooke's clit and gave her a deep kiss before jumping up and running across the bedroom to answer her cell phone.

Spencer flipped it open and answered, slightly out of breath.

"Hello?"

"Your girlfriend's really that much of a tiger in bed? I have to say, I'm surprised," a husky voice chimed in from the other end.

After a few moments, Spencer recognized the voice.

_How did Ashley get my number?_

**A/N: **I know, I know - it's not Spashley. However, Brooke and Spencer are a couple, and that's what couples do. Especially if one person (Spencer) is trying to prove that she's still... somewhat in the relationship. Don't be mad, and I'm sorry to any of you who were bothered by this chapter. When I wrote this, I wanted it to be realistic, and sometimes, reality is painful. It's tragic, it's dark, and it's not always the way we hope things will be. That being said, the Spashley goodness is coming. They _will _have their time. Trust me. Let me know what you think, and be on the look out for more tomorrow!_  
><em>


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Spencer looked apologetically at Brooke and shrugged on a white bath robe. She stepped out of their bedroom and rested against the wall of the hallway. She paused for a moment before listening to Ashley's breathing on the other line.

"Are you in the clear now? The girlfriend can't hear you?" Ashley said mockingly.

"If you must know, yes," Spencer said hotly, feeling slightly nervous. "How did you know, anyway? What I was doing?"

"Only a few ways a girl gets to breathin' that hard, Miss Carlin," Ashley drawled into the phone, causing a shiver to race up Spencer's spine. "And I doubt you were jogging when it's dark outside. That's just not safe..."

"Fine – you caught me, but fucking my girlfriend isn't a crime. At least, it wasn't the last time I checked," Spencer said, hoping to somehow stir some emotion into the brunette. Spencer was very curious as to the extent of Ashley's feelings for her. Maybe she was looking into things too much. Maybe Ashley felt nothing.

"No crime, blondie. But for the record, I could make you breathe a lot harder than that if we were getting down an' dirty," Ashley said with a haughty chuckle that made Spencer blush a little despite the fact that they were only speaking over the telephone.

"Would you?" Spencer teased after clearing her throat as quietly as possible to rid the desire from her normally soothing voice. Giving Ashley too much information about her current condition would not help her win the battle in the long run.

"Most definitely, blondie. I'd make you incapable of speech. Your voice would be all kinds of hoarse from the screamin'," Ashley said, her voice dropping at least half an octave and purring through their phone connection. Spencer shivered and rested more of her body against the wall, keeping a harder grip on the phone so she wouldn't drop it due to her shaking hands.

Spencer gulped and Ashley chuckled again.

"Easy there, babe. We don't want you going back into the bedroom and makin' your girl wonder why you creamed yourself all of a sudden," Ashley said again, keeping the mood playful and wreaking havoc on Spencer's hormones.

"She'd just think it was because of her..." Spencer admitted, instantly regretted the tone and words she used. Ashley would never let her live that one down.

"Maybe it is..." the brunette said softly, her voice coated in a tone Spencer hadn't heard before. It was a soft jealousy, intertwined with a splash of disappointment.

And it was the saddest tone Spencer had ever heard. Ashley evident longing made the blonde want to rush to wherever she was and hold her close, pressing their lips together until neither could breathe. She could suffocate on Ashley's lips.

They'd fall into a heap, and she'd let the brunette keep all these lascivious promises. She'd let Ashley's hands roam all over her – touching, teasing, stroking...

Spencer knew that Ashley could make her pray for death and sexual euphoria, and the blonde was quite certain that she would accept either at those all too capable hands of Ashley Davies.

She'd do it with a smile or scream.

Either way, she was certain she'd be happy.

"Ashley..." Spencer said softly, trying to stir the brunette from whatever trance she had fallen into. She had been silent for too long, and Spencer was worried.

"Spence! You okay out there, baby?" Brooke called softly from inside the bedroom. Spencer murmured softly before turning her lips away from the phone and taking a step toward their bedroom door.

"Fine! It's just – my mom," Spencer lied.

"Tell her I said hey, then," Brooke said before Spencer heard the bed shift. Maybe she was going to sleep.

"Hello, mother," Spencer said back into the phone. Ashley seemed to wake up via laughter, and Spencer joined her.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not your mother," Ashley chimed in.

"No – you're way too fuckable," Spencer said, the words escaping her mouth before she could stop them.

Ashley laughed a little louder, and Spencer blushed. There are times when you just want to crawl in a hole and die – this was one of those moments for Spencer.

"Well, if your mom looks anything like you, I'd have to disagree. But – of course you wouldn't find your mother attractive. If you did, I'd think you were a freak," Ashley said gently, obviously catching on to what her voice and comments did to Spencer, who was slowly spiraling out of control.

"Why Ashley Davies, do you think I'm fuckable?" Spencer purred into the phone, wanting to see if she had any affect at all on the brunette and turn the tables.

"Completely. I have this... odd desire to fuck your brains out," Ashley stated plainly, as if she were talking about the weather or day plans.

Spencer whimpered softly in response, and Ashley caught onto this immediately.

"You want to meet me somewhere? We could...talk," Ashley suggested, her voice dripping with promises that Spencer felt all over her body. They were completely satisfying even though Ashley wasn't touching her.

Spencer's mind wandered aimlessly. She still had two days to make Ashley fall in love with her. Could she risk passing on one day? But then again – if she gave her body to Ashley Davies, would she be destroyed? Would she destroy her chances by giving in so soon, and could she possibly be putting her life in danger?

"Tomorrow?" Spencer suggested, hearing Ashley's sigh of disappointment.

"We can meet up tomorrow. Where?" Ashley said, trying and failing at disguising the slight traces of hurt in her voice. Spencer suspected that perhaps it was just her way of dealing with feminine blue balls.

"Wherever you want," Spencer said, her mind already shooting forward to the next day where she would be with Ashley. Who knows what the girl would plan for them? Spencer felt her heart skipping beats, perhaps performing back-flips and other various gymnastic feats at the mere thought of a whole day alone with Ashley Davies.

The twinge of guilt that settled in her stomach at the thought of Brooke was quickly smoothed over, and Spencer knew that she would no longer dwell on this fact. She cared for Brooke, but Spencer fully intended to come home to her and Erin after this thing with Ashley and Aiden was over. It would have a clean ending, like Aiden intended, and she and Brooke might even get married.

Erin would have a solid household, like both Spencer and Brooke had growing up, and they would be happy. They would be playing happy family, and mean every smile and family outing. They'd be the poster children for a successful partnership.

They'd be normal.

"Good. Tomorrow, then. We'll meet in the park at, say – ten?" Ashley asked.

Spencer snapped back to attention at the question Ashley posed.

"Ten? How am I supposed to leave the house at ten? I don't work tomorrow, and even if I did, I start work at 8," Spencer said, wrapping her brain around the startling fact that Ashley's plan wasn't going to work.

"Just say you ended up working the mid-day shift at work tomorrow. She'll let you go. Work things happen, they spring up out of nowhere and are just – so inconvenient," Ashley murmured softly.

"That'll go over well," Spencer sighed, hinting at her sentence's sarcasm.

"It will, trust me. Just – feed her a little strain of white lies. I'm sure you've got it in you..." Ashley commented, truly wondering if the blonde was capable of lying as well as she did. "After all – I'm sure you lied when I brought you home so late last night..."

"I did. It worked, too," Spencer replied, feeling slightly ashamed to admit her bad deeds, even to Ashley, who was definitely not one of LA's finest.

"Then don't feel so bad about it. Sometimes, I think of you as this spitfire, Carlin. You're sexy, uninhibited, and wild. So appealing. Other times, I think you try to be the pinnacle of motherhood and a truly 'good' person just to piss me off. I wanna see you get wild, blondie," Ashley teased.

_God, that does sound appealing. I'd love to get wild for Ashley. I think I already am._

"I'll have to consider that, then," Spencer cooed softly into the phone. Ashley chuckled darkly and sighed. Spencer wondered what noises she'd make if they got to fucking. Spencer had no doubt that it would be uninhibited and passionate, animalistic, even. She felt a shiver flood her unexpected, like an ocean's wave hitting you when you have your back turned and rested directly between her legs.

"You do that, and if you find that darkness by tomorrow, I'd be more than happy to play audience to it. I have a feeling that you'll need someone to – mold it," Ashley purred softly. "I'd like to do that very much."

"I think I'd like that, too," Spencer confessed.

A beat of silence passed between them, and it was comfortable. Spencer had never been privy to comfortable silences, and this one was welcomed. They were both lost in their thoughts of each other and possible scenarios that could come into play during their day together tomorrow. Spencer sighed, and Ashley picked up on it, as it broke the silent connection stringing them together.

"Tomorrow," Ashley said, the single word answer serving as goodbye. Before Spencer could respond or tell the brunette to wait just a moment longer, she heard the tell-tale click of the phone. The call had ended.

Spencer let her eyes flutter closed and she opened the door to her bedroom once more. Brooke was curled up on her side, asleep. Spencer couldn't help but feel relief wash over her. She doubted she could continue anything with her after that phone call with Ashley. All the promises they made would end up showing on Brooke's skin and would mar Spencer would more slivers of guilt. She didn't want that.

Spencer took off her robe and slid under the covers, enveloping herself in the soft sheets. Her eyes closed, and she allowed the air around her to absorb Ashley's name as it exited her lips. The sound was less than a sigh, and the name wasn't recognizable – only to Spencer.

The blonde listened to her erratic heartbeat that was slowing gently, easing the silence of the room that seemed less comfortable than what she experienced earlier with Ashley.

Sleep kept her and held her close, like the pair of strong arms that a certain dangerous brunette had.

One thought rampaged her mind before she finally slipped over into slumber.

_Ashley Davies, you are something else. _

**A/N: **So, Spencer's headed into the lion's den. And Brooke has no idea what's about to happen. Thanks again for all the great reviews! Reading them makes my day._  
><em>


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Sometimes in the morning when your body is relaxed from sleep, your mind can still feel exhausted. As the early warm rays of sunlight rested on her back, she stirred, and couldn't help but feel like on this morning, the sunlight had discovered capabilities to raise the dead. She turned over on her side and looked at Brooke, sleeping in a slumped heap.

Spencer knew that she probably should wake her to let her know that she was supposed to report in to "work" today – a day that she normally wouldn't work.

She couldn't very well just leave a note: worthless words scrawled on paper whispering a jumbled apology. Brooke would never stand for that. Spencer ran a tired, slightly trembling hand through her blonde locks, partially flat on one side and tousled from sleep and the activities that had taken place before she drifted off into dreamland.

"I'm so sorry..." Spencer whispered, looking at Brooke and kissing her forehead.

_An act of habit. I don't think I even really mean it anymore..._

Spencer left bed and sauntered to the bathroom, tripping over the carpet and every slightly raised object on her way, practically a stumbling mass of blonde hair and sun-kissed skin. She hated mornings for this reason – it always brought out her carefully hidden oafishness.

Brooke thought it was adorable, and Spencer always debated cutting off a limb, because a wheelchair would make the morning ritual an easier transition. However, everything else would be much more difficult, and Spencer realized that her life was already just a few notches above difficult.

The blonde closed the bathroom door behind her and set a clean change of clothes on the top of the hamper, ready for her to change into after she was refreshed and cleansed by a hot spray to prepare her for the day's events.

Spencer looped a fluffy white towel through the rack and set the water to a soothing warmth, but not too much to redden or scald her sensitive skin. Spencer stepped under the water once she was certain that it was the correct temperature and shut the shower curtain. Spencer turned on the shower radio and started to hum along with an old Police song.

"Every little thing she does is magic," Spencer started to sing with the male vocalist. She reached for the shampoo and poured a quarter-sized drop into the palm of her hand started lathering.

"Everything she does just turns me on."

_This song was clearly written about Ashley Davies..._

Spencer started to rinse the shampoo out of her blonde hair that was now a dishwater blonde due to the moisture, and poured some conditioner into her hand. She lathered up the ends of her hair again and rinsed that out before scrubbing her body and face.

"Even though my life before was tragic," Spencer continued with the song, trailing off slightly at the end when she realized that her life was never really tragic except in the sense that she was never truly happy. Erin brought her joy, and Brooke brought her comfort and happiness, but being with Brooke didn't make Spencer truly, blissfully, and completely happy.

Erin did, because that girl was Spencer's life, however, Erin needed a second figure in her mother's life – another mother. Brooke and Erin got along, of course, but Spencer kept seeing another face enter the picture.

_Ashley would be the worst mother ever. She'd probably be teaching Erin how to threaten the innocent, wield a knife, and panhandle on the streets by age twelve. _

It was a crazy notion, but the blonde knew that her life with Ashley would be completely comfortable. Because when you're dating someone, you have to be able to talk about everything. Spencer did keep some secrets from Ashley, as did the brunette from Spencer, but the fact that Spencer knew she could be honest with Ashley, truly honest, proved that they were a good match. At least, Spencer thought this way when it came to her potential ideas for a future with Ashley.

These thoughts were all crazy to be happening so soon, even though both girls were adults and had real lives and real jobs. They had both left the high school atmosphere, and this was the time of their lives when one could actually fall in love and not be trying to fit in with the "in crowd" by pretending to be that way.

"Now I know my love for her goes on..." Spencer finished, trying to sing the last part and dissect the lyrics to see how they would relate and match up to the current status for her friend. Strangely, the pattern broke, because Spencer didn't love Ashley. Yet.

_I can't. We haven't even done anything more than talk and the sitting close intimacy. I hardly see her, __and when I do, we end up fighting. How can that be love?_

The hot spray continued to run down Spencer's body, and the blonde inhaled the smoke and heat, warming herself from the inside. This attempt worked, and she felt calm for a moment before she was interrupted by a knocking on the bathroom door.

"Spence, why are you taking a shower so early?" Brooke's husky and sleepy morning voice called from the other side of the door.

Now was the time to tell her, and it would be easier to lie if they weren't face to face.

"I've got work this morning, babe. Meetings. We're setting up conferences or something, I don't know. The message I got was really vague, but I had to start getting ready," Spencer lied, shouting over the loud spray.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Brooke questioned, sounding slightly disappointed that Spencer had to leave for "work."

_Lie like a dog, Spencer. Flattery always works._

"Because you were so beautiful sleeping. I didn't want to wake you for the world," Spencer shouted, trying to keep as much tenderness in her voice as she could muster. This was a hard task considering the volume she was using and the words she was saying.

"I know what you mean. These last few days have been... trying, at best. Last night was incredible, though," Brooke said. Spencer heard her lean slightly against the door, and a smiled toyed at her lips. Ashley was right – she could lie. Brooke was even helping her in the lie by rationalizing it. This was entirely too easy.

"Yeah, baby. It was great. I don't know why we held off on it so long," Spencer said cheerily. She finished washing up and turned off the water.

Spencer grabbed her towel and started to dry off. After she was completely dry, she changed into a pair of tight gray slacks and a black peasant top that clung to her breasts and flowed out at the ends. It fit her frame perfectly. Spencer ran a brush through her long, honey locks and shook the excess water out of her hair.

She mussed it up with some gel to add that tousled "just fucked" look to her appearance and added a small line of black liner, mascara, and blue eye shadow to accent her perfect blue eyes.

"Can I come in?" Brooke finally asked.

_Must you?_

"Sure," Spencer said, halfway through gritted teeth. Brooke opened the door and paused in the door frame. She had changed into some black boxer shorts and a fitted white t-shirt that looked really good on her. Her dark hair was messy from sleep and falling slightly over her green eyes. She was especially adorable in the mornings.

"You look hot," Brooke mused, checking out her girlfriend's perfect body.

"Thank you," Spencer said with a smile. Brooke certainly did know how to make a girl feel good about herself. The blonde reached for her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth. Brooke walked over to her and wrapped her strong arms around Spencer's waist. She placed a few soft kisses on Spencer's shoulder blade and inhaled the sweet scent of the blonde's perfume.

"You smell good, too," Brooke murmured huskily.

"I try. Always want to make a good impression," Spencer said, telling the truth for what could be the first time that morning. If lying to herself wasn't bad enough, Spencer was really good at lying to other people and did it often. Brooke wasn't the only one who Spencer lied to. She lied to everyone except Erin, and so far, to Ashley. She was incapable of lying to her, partially because she didn't want to, and also because she knew Ashley was probably something close to a human lie detector.

_The fact that I haven't told her about my relationship with Aiden and the deal we made isn't so much a lie as simply not telling her. In order to lie about it, she'd have to ask or bring it up. If she did, I'd fucking sing like a canary.  
><em>

"You really have to go to work?" Brooke asked, pressing her breasts against Spencer's back. The blonde moaned softly, not by choice. She couldn't help how her body reacted, and the fact that she was thinking about Ashley at the moment Brooke did that tricked her for a moment.

_I really have to go see Ashley._

"Yeah..." Spencer said, trying to keep a note of disappointment in her own voice to match her girlfriend's.

"We could continue what we started last night when you get home," Brooke said, always playing the optimist.

"That sounds great," Spencer said with one of her trademark fake smiles that could still make girls and guys alike weak in the knees.

"Good – I'll clean up around here and look after Erin while you're away. Maybe set up a few special things in our room for when you get home," Brooke said, turning Spencer around in her arms once the blonde was finished brushing her teeth.

Spencer kissed Brooke chastely and smiled.

"Perfect," she lied again.

"Make sure you eat something before you leave, okay? I'm going to take a shower and then wake up Erin if she's still sleeping," Brooke said, her green eyes taking on a caring look. She always looked after Spencer.

"I'll grab a granola bar and stop at Starbucks on my way," Spencer promised.

"Good. Drive safe, baby," Brooke said, kissing her girlfriend a little harder the second time. Spencer pulled away with a smile, finishing the kiss by giving Brooke a playful swat on the ass.

"I will," Spencer said before pulling out of Brooke's embrace. She walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

_Made it safely through the gauntlet..._

**A/N: **So, I'm thinking about the possibility of double updates today. Let me know what you're thinking! Reviews fuel me, and always make my day!_  
><em>


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Spencer rummaged through the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar on her way out, just to appease Brooke, even though she was more than positive that she wouldn't be eating.

The blonde closed the cupboard and stepped outside. She got in her car and backed out of the driveway, starting to head toward the park. She was exiting the circular suburb, looking at all the houses with their dual levels and expensive cars parked out front – a nice neighborhood, but ultimately too upper-class America for Spencer Carlin.

Spencer put her turn signal on, signaling that she'd be making a left turn, toward the park where she was to be meeting Ashley that morning when a horn honked behind her. Spencer's eyes immediately looked into the rear-view mirror.

A familiar car was sitting behind her – a sleek, black 1956 Jaguar Roadster. Ashley Davies' smug smile was gazing at her, and those chocolate eyes were shielded by large Aviator sunglasses. Spencer smiled back, and Ashley picked up her phone.

A few moments later, Spencer's rang, and she answered it. She didn't feel odd about sitting here at part of the suburb, because traffic was dead at this time of the morning. People wouldn't logically be leaving for work for at least another hour, and the blonde knew that this exchange wouldn't take long.

"Good morning, beautiful," Ashley said once Spencer answered the phone. Spencer could feel herself blushing, and she knew there was a chance that Ashley could see this from her car. This deepened the red tint, and Spencer choked out a response.

"I'm good, but what happened to the park?"

"Call me impatient. You were quicker leaving the house than I thought. The girlfriend didn't give you any problems? You give her a little pussy to shut her up?" Ashley drawled playfully.

"No – she's just an understanding person," Spencer responded, knowing that even if she wanted to, she couldn't be harsh or cross with Ashley.

"Oh, I'm sure she is. What did she say when you told her what you were doing today?" Ashley baited, the smile widening on her perfect face. Spencer rolled her eyes directly into the mirror, and she heard and saw Ashley's responsive chuckle.

"For your information, I told her I was going to work," the blonde replied.

"Oh – you lied. Fuckin' brilliant, blondie," Ashley said exuberantly.

"I couldn't very well tell her the truth!"

"But she's so 'understanding,' isn't she?" Ashley said mocking, trying to impersonate the blonde as closely as possible, given the different natural pitches of their voice.

_Even when she's being crude and hateful, she has a sexy voice..._

"Not about those types of things. No girl would want their girlfriend going on a date with another really hot girl. Or any girl, for that matter," Spencer declared matter-of-factly.

"But what if we're just friends?" Ashley asked, batting her eyelashes innocently at Spencer.

"We're not friends, Ashley," Spencer said rather rudely, slightly regretting the words. She hadn't meant it in the way Ashley would take it, after all. She meant it in the "we can't only be friends, because I want more" sense.

"You're breaking my heart, Spencer Carlin," Ashley drawled.

"Oh – I'm sorry. Didn't know it was soft enough to break," Spencer said, smirking at the gorgeous brunette.

"You'd be surprised. And even if it was rock solid, which is totally is – I might cry instead. I can cry on cue," Ashley boasted proudly, leaning against her steering wheel.

Spencer chuckled darkly before turning her lips up into a wicked smile, aiming it purposefully at the blonde, who licked her lips in return. Spencer felt the heat flood and stop at her center, making it beg already. Spencer didn't dare move, for the slightest contact against her clit now would cause her to whimper into the phone, and Ashley's head might swell to gargantuan sizes.

_She's so sexy and proportional right now – wouldn't want to damage that._

"You can cry, Ashley? But how is that possible with gravel shoved in your tear ducts?" Spencer teased, taking a stab at the brunette's tough girl exterior.

"You'd be surprised," the brunette stated. "So – where are we going? Somewhere secluded? Back to mine?"

"Not back to yours, Casanova. Let's go... to the beach?" Spencer suggested.

"Did you bring a bathing suit?" Ashley asked.

"No – is that going to be a problem?" Spencer asked, suddenly feeling like Ashley was going to scrutinize her for anything she might do wrong.

"Nope. I'll just find a good spot for us to skinny dip," Ashley said, giving Spencer a suggestive smile.

"Good luck with that. You'll be lucky if you ever get to see me in a bikini, at the very least," Spencer teased, chuckling softly when Ashley placed her hand over her heart and feigned sadness from her car.

"You'll see just what I can do to make you change your mind, blondie. That's a fucking promise," Ashley swore, tilting her shades down and letting Spencer see the intensity that was hidden behind the smooth chocolate color, almost a menacing black that Spencer would probably be afraid of if she knew it wasn't sparked by desire.

"I'll lead the way to the beach. We'll talk again there," Spencer said, not saying goodbye before hanging up the phone and pulling out of the suburb and onto the highway.

Ashley put her shades back up, driving behind Spencer, the wind blowing through her hair, blowing it and giving her that even sexier windblown look since the top on her convertible was down. She caught Spencer looking at her through the mirror every three or four minutes, and smiled smugly to herself. She was definitely good at playing the game.

Spencer drove quicker than usual, moving a good ten miles over the speed limit. She was lucky that she didn't get ticketed, since the cops were usually pretty heavy in these areas, always trying to keep control over the crazed tourists, but she made it to her destination a good 15 minutes earlier than she would have without the speed boost.

Ashley followed suit and pulled into the space right next to Spencer, smiling at the blonde who was leaning against her Cooper and shut off the car, putting her keys in the pocket of her long, nylon soccer shorts.

"Deja vu?" Ashley asked, slamming her car door shut. The breeze washed over both girls, and Spencer beamed at her.

"Just a little bit, except not in the scary ghetto, and you're not pulling knives on hobos," Spencer said softly.

"I left the knife at home... but we can use it later if you want to spike your arousal with some danger," Ashley drawled in a cocky tone, sending visible shivers up Spencer's spine. Ashley pressed her hand on the small of Spencer's back, absorbing what she just caused and grinned before retracting and taking off her flip-flops, stepping onto the warm sand that was the perfect temperature for walking barefoot. Spencer followed suit and wandered after the brunette.

"You're not all the danger a girl can handle?" Spencer asked once she caught up with the girl.

"No – I'm all the danger a girl could ever want," Ashley explained, keeping her dark eyes on Spencer. The beach was fairly empty, since it was still early.

"What makes you think I want danger, Ashley?" Spencer asked, her blue eyes flashing with the question and slanted insecurity.

"You want me. That says plenty," Ashley replied, taking a step closer to the blonde. She placed her hand firmly on Spencer's hip and felt her shiver.

"I want you?" Spencer asked shyly, not knowing where her guts had gone since Ashley stepped in closer.

_Yes, you do, stupid – she's fucking beautiful and amazing._

"Yeah, you definitely do. I'd bet money on it," the brunette said before grabbing Spencer by her hips and slamming their lips together in a long-awaited kiss. Both girls moaned into the kiss, and lips parted immediately. Ashley's tongue swirled with Spencer's, and her strong hands immediately met the blonde's ass, cupping it, causing Spencer to buck her hips into Ashley's. She felt the tongue piercing that the brunette possessed and released an guttural moan.

"Fuck..." Spencer moaned into the kiss, grasping at Ashley like she was oxygen. Spencer was drowning, and she needed Ashley more than oxygen perhaps. Her head was spinning and swimming, sinking a little as well against Ashley's perfect frame that supported her so well.

The brunette nipped at Spencer's bottom lip, tugging it and teasing it – roughly grasping it and causing Spencer to moan again as their breasts pressed against each others'.

Finally, Ashley pulled away and looked deeply into Spencer's eyes.

"Now – tell me that you don't want me. Because you'll be a fucking liar."

**A/N: **I saw that some people were calling me a tease. I'd wager that this _maybe _made up for that... just a little. I hope you're all satisfied with this (brief) encounter for now, because even though it's a little drawn out... we're getting there. Actually, as of last chapter, we reached the halfway mark! Yay halfway! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers (new and old) for jumping on the bandwagon, or for staying with said bandwagon. It's a bumpy ride from here on out (like it wasn't already - I have to torture you a bit more). Thanks again! Can't wait to read your reviews. Also, more tomorrow! Will Spencer get into a bikini? Will Ashley take her home? Let me know what you're thinking!


	18. Chapter Seventeen

The sun's rays rested on their backs, soaking into their flesh. Spencer felt herself getting overheated – sweating slightly, but not because of the clothing she was wearing. Even though she hadn't picked the best shirt for a sunny day (black absorbed heat). Her rise in temperature, however, was more due to the kiss she just shared with the dangerous and enigmatic Ashley Davies.

"You want me to tell you that I don't want you?" Spencer asked, her brain muddled and confused.

"Sure, if you feel the need," Ashley drawled softly.

"I can't," Spencer replied, staring deeply into Ashley's warm brown eyes.

"I know you can't. You can lie all you want, dig a grave for yourself in those lies, but not to me. Why is that?" Ashley asked nonchalantly.

"I don't know why. I really don't. And you know what? I don't want to know. It scares me," Spencer confessed.

"I scare you, you mean," Ashley finished, completing Spencer's sentence.

"Do you? You really think so?" Spencer asked, hoping that perhaps by lying to Ashley, she'd get somewhere. But Ashley was right – her lies weren't nearly as believable with Ashley than with everyone else. Something was different here.

"Lying is all in the eyes, Spencer. A simple glance left or right – a nervous tick. Depends on the person. You're a good liar, and I'll give you that – but I'm a pro. I read lies," Ashley said, boasting and shoving her hands in her pockets, sticking her chest out. This was a confident maneuver, but it caused Spencer's eyes to rest on Ashley's chest. "Lies are my textbook."

"Uh-huh," Spencer said, her mind resting somewhere else entirely.

"Liking what you see there?" Ashley said, a smile crossing her features, silently mocking the blonde for showing off her attraction so plainly.

"You know I do. Forget the kiss so soon?" Spencer shot back. Ashley chuckled and ran her thumb absently between Spencer's breasts, causing the blonde to shudder.

Spencer took a step closer to Ashley and kissed her slowly. This kiss was less bruising, but keeping all the passion from their very first one. Ashley caught her hand in Spencer's blonde locks, slamming her hips into Spencer's – driving them both into a spiraled wave of desire.

It flooded and moved, catching them in the undertow. They were slaves.

This was what they wanted.

Ashley pulled away and fluttered her dark eyelashes across high cheekbones, framing them as her eyes opened.

"Would you feel wrong about coming back to my place?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Will you forget the second kiss, too?" Spencer teased.

"Mm-hmm. Already come and gone, blondie," Ashley responded playfully. Spencer rolled her eyes and swatted Ashley on the arm. The brunette feigned injury for a moment, noting that the blonde didn't rush to apologize and smiled. "This is such a cliché, but we're not so different, you and I."

_You wouldn't say that if you knew that I know what you are..._

"If you say so," Spencer mumbled out, her blue eyes locking onto Ashley's.

"I do say so, and I'm usually right," Ashley boasted, taking Spencer's hand confidently and starting to swagger. "You coming back to mine?"

"Shouldn't we go somewhere first? At least pretend to date like normal people?" Spencer suggested, trying to act like she was put off by Ashley's direct idea.

_The saddest part of this is that I want to go directly back to hers. But, I don't want to seem easy. Even though, for her – I totally am._

"Where do you want to go? I thought we just were at the beach?" Ashley glanced out into the water for a moment. "Oh wait! We are."

"The beach is nice today," Spencer commented, inhaling the salted air.

"You didn't bring a bathing suit, or I'd suggest we enjoy it," Ashley smirked.

"If it wasn't a public beach, I might just enjoy it without a bathing suit," Spencer teased, resting her hands on her hips. Ashley followed this simple motion with her eyes, causing the blonde to chuckle, since the tables had been turned.

"We could go shopping!" Ashley said, doing her best 'valley-girl' voice impression.

"Shopping?" Spencer arched an eyebrow carefully. "For what?"

"Bathing suits. You can try them on for me," Ashley said plainly.

"Oh, yeah? Well, you'll be lucky to get me to show you out of the dressing room. And don't even think about getting inside. You'll have to try some on, too, you know," Spencer commented, gazing over at Ashley, who had a cunning smirk decorating her face.

"No, I don't. I'll do as I please," the brunette mumbled, giving Spencer an adorable pout.

"You are _so_ adult," the blonde commented sarcastically, "and if you don't buy a suit, you'll have to figure out how to get with me in the water. This still is a private beach – you can't go naked."

"I'm smarter than you," Ashley stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Spencer's eyes went wide, and she stopped them in their tracks. She let go of Ashley's hand and tapped her foot rhythmically in the soft sand.

"Are you? Explain," Spencer said, trying to conceal her anger.

"I brought my bathing suit. Back of the car," Ashley smirked, pecking Spencer softly on the lips before sprinting toward her Jag. "And it's my treat! That means I get to extract my payment however I see fit!"

Spencer sighed and kicked her toes across the sand, scattering bits and pieces into the wind. She watched them blow away and fall before looking into the cool blue waters.

"Extract your payment... I'm sure you know how to do that very well."

Spencer's feet barely touched the ground as she ran off after the brunette. Even though she could taste the danger in the air, in her heart, on her skin, and on the plush softness of Ashley's lips, she knew that she'd follow Ashley anywhere. And she did.

It didn't take long for Spencer and Ashley to arrive at a store Ashley recommended for bathing suit shopping. Evidently it was a hot spot for glamorous folks with hot bodies to buy them all year round.

"Ashley, I still don't know about this," Spencer protested as Ashley led her into the store by her hand. So, she wasn't technically dragging her, but she was leading at a rather brisk pace.

"You liar! You were fine with it before," Ashley said, smiling at the cute redhead working the cash register as she pulled Spencer toward the bikinis.

"I was?" Spencer said, causing Ashley to stop in her tracks, whirling around suddenly with an unrecognizable look on her face. The expression was almost menacing, with an air of teasing and challenge. Spencer Carlin was never one to say no to a challenge, but this time she feared it would be an odd situation either way. Her pride or her body.

Brooke or Ashley.

Happiness or insanity.

"You were," Ashley informed her knowingly, her deep eyes focused on Spencer's. Ashley's eyes omitted such a surge of heat, sexually and otherwise, that Spencer felt like she was glass, threatening to shatter in a blazing kiln. That gaze could boil and crack her, mold her and shape her, fuck her and form her until there was nothing left.

_I could start over with her..._

"I swear to whatever the fuck exists in a higher plane, assuming there is one, that if you touch me inappropriately while I'm trying on these things, I'll axe-murder you," Spencer said in a low voice, scaring herself. Ashley definitely had the hardcore effect on people.

"Hmm – well, then... I'll wait until we get into the ocean," Ashley said, obviously unfazed by Spencer's attempt of being evil. Ashley chuckled darkly, and Spencer felt insulted, and slightly embarrassed. Her cheeks displayed this, and Ashley crossed her arms.

"Don't do that! It's ridiculous. You're being stupid," Ashley said softly.

"Fine, fine – obviously my axe-murdering threat didn't work. But... I'll key your car," the blonde retorted before picking up a forest green and white flowered string bikini and putting it in a small basket to carry with her into the dressing room once she found a few others.

"That car honestly means more to me that I do most days. Don't ask me why, because I'm not sure I understand why – but it does," Ashley confessed, looking over the bikinis and trying to find ones that would push Spencer's limit just by trying them on.

"It's just a possession," Spencer told the brunette as her eyes scanned the skimpiest bikinis the store had to offer.

"Right, but it's mine. I like things that are mine and only mine. Call me jealous, but that's how I am," Ashley said firmly, her tone making it pointless to argue. She had said what needed to be said, and Spencer wouldn't dare undermine her.

"You do the same thing with women?" Spencer asked, her curiosity sparked and piqued by Ashley's most recent confession. Sometimes if someone was possessive about something as simplistic as a material item, a lover could be governed by the same terms. Spencer never found it appealing to be considered as someone's belonging, but she wondered if it wouldn't be so bad in the hands of someone as capable as Ashley.

_She's dangerous, but she seems like the type of lover who would always care for something that "belonged" to them. It's almost endearing, in a really creepy way. _

"Sometimes. It really depends on where the relationship is going. I don't really do them," Ashley murmured, tossing a black and red pinstriped bikini into Spencer's basket with perfect, calculated aim.

"Do what? Girls? That's a lie," Spencer said, smiling teasingly.

"You're kidding, right? Of course I do girls. I was talking about relationships, Spencer. I don't do relationships," Ashley said to the blonde, arching an eyebrow.

"Ohhh – that's right. You're trying to be one of those Shane McCutcheon types. All the player girls don't do relationships nowadays," Spencer said mockingly, swaying her hips close to Ashley. The brunette threw a final suit into Spencer's basket – a white one with yellow and orange polka dots that was barely a scrap of fabric and grinned.

"Bite me," Ashley mocked, doing her best Valley girl impression at Spencer's mocking tone and hip swaying maneuver.

"Maybe later, okay?" Spencer said with a playful wink before taking the three swimsuits into a dressing room and closing the door. Ashley leaned against it slightly, balancing her slight weight on the palm of her hand and listened to the rustling of clothing just behind the wooden door that was designed to look like a Tiki hut.

"You know that you're going to let me in there, don't you?" Ashley said.

"Really?" Spencer mumbled as she took her shirt off, letting it hit the floor. She stripped off her bra and let that fall to the floor as well. Ashley saw that article of clothing land gracefully on the floor and licked her lips.

"Well, unless you can securely fasten a string bikini top..." Ashley said, hoping that the girl wasn't that good at fixing herself up.

"I can do just fine, thanks," Spencer said as she tried on the first bikini.

"Are you going to at least model them for me?" Ashley said when she saw Spencer's jeans hit the floor. She smiled and gulped, finding support against the door as she envisioned Spencer inside the room.

"Nope," Spencer exclaimed before turning around in the mirror. It was a cute one, but not her type. Quite small, and polka dots weren't really a style she enjoyed. Not to mention, she looked way too innocent in white and bright colors. Spencer stripped it off and folded it into a neat pile.

The next one followed after she heard Ashley's moan of exasperation. Spencer knew that it could have been potentially interesting had she invited the brunette to come into the dressing room with her. Hands and lips would have no doubt wandered all for the purpose of tying a bikini. Getting into these outfits would be pointless if Ashley had overstepped that threshold.

Spencer slid into the forest green and white flowered one. She did a slight twirl in the mirror, stopping to pause at how her ass looked in the bottoms. She knew that if she was to be wearing a bikini around Ashley and her all too carefully scrutinizing gaze, she'd have to look perfect from every angle – especially the ones that Ashley was most likely to look lustfully toward. Ashley was many things, and Spencer was starting to learn that when it came to her and her admiration, she was quite predictable.

"You sure you don't need help, blondie?" Ashley asked, her voice becoming a sultry growl. Spencer smiled and placed her hands over her stomach, silently thanking her inner conscience for getting that gym membership so she could keep her toned stomach in top shape. Other than the scar from her C section, she'd never know that she had a child at one point. The scar was mostly faded now, as was all the extra "baby fat," and Spencer was finally pleased with her form.

However, the white and green floral still added that air of innocence to her, and she wanted the brunette to know her true intentions without words. Spencer stripped off her second option and folded it as well, placing it lightly on top of the first one that wasn't up to par.

"I'm good, Ashley. No problems here," Spencer said seductively, her voice purring through the door, landing directly on Ashley's lower region.

"Okay, um – find anything you like?" Ashley said softly.

"Not yet, but I'm down the the last option. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a keeper, even though it's smaller than what I'd usually wear. It'll show a lot of skin," Spencer said, informing the other girl and obviously teasing her beyond the point of bouncing back.

Spencer waited for a response and tugged the black and red pinstriped suit on over her slightly bronzed skin that retained enough color to accent her silken curves, but not enough to give her a fake tan. She was sun kissed and completely natural, and that's how she liked to keep it.

The blonde twirled in the mirror and faced the front, placing her hands on her hips and practicing a slow, sultry smile, looking up at an imaginary Ashley through her long lashes that were tinted a rusty brown from mascara. Spencer swayed her hips and watched how the dark, bold colors of crimson and charcoal accented her perfect, unblemished skin tone.

_This will get her. The winner, and still champion – classic, perfect, and completely sultry enough to be that hidden bad girl that she's forcing out of me. _

"Spencer?" Ashley called through the door. "Does it fit?"

"Oh yeah, it fits," Spencer purred.

"Can I see?" Ashley said meekly, wondering where her resolve had gone. She cleared her throat and allowed her voice to fall into its naturally lower octave. "I mean – if you're comfortable. Doesn't matter to me. I'll see it eventually."

"You can see it, but you'll have to back away from the door," Spencer said, watching under the door for the sign that Ashley was out of the way of being blasted by the door. "Ready?"

"Fuck yes," Ashley growled. Spencer opened the door and stepped out, placing one foot in front of the other and cocking her hip to the side, placing one hand on the other, showing off her curves and creamy, bronzed flesh that seemed to be oiled with the sweetest of honey. Ashley sighed and blinked twice. "I think it's a winner."

"It's a winner?" Spencer said, smiling innocently and bashing her eyelashes. Ashley crossed her arms and nodded, trying to keep her eyes off Spencer's breasts that were pressed up and the thin fabric hugging the curves, accenting the fact that her nipples were hard. Ashley doubted that this was because it was cold, either. It was not a cold day by any means.

"Mm-hmm. So, let's buy it," Ashley said, fighting the overwhelming urge to lick her lips. Spencer's eyes were right on her lips, too, and she would have normally continued with her gesture, but felt that her motor skills were severely lacking at that particular moment.

"Great! I'll get changed back into my normal clothes, we'll buy it, and get on our way to the beach," Spencer said, disappearing back into the dressing room before Ashley could get a good view of her ass.

"Tease," Ashley mumbled under her breath, sitting back on a chair for those patiently waiting, sexually starved victims whose girlfriends brought them here as they tried on skimpy outfits. "You brought this on yourself, Davies. Fool."

**A/N: **Little bit longer chapter - hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Ashley tapped her foot impatiently against the barely upholstered metal chair as Spencer was fixing herself up to be "presentable" inside the dressing room. Even though presentable didn't matter, since they were just going to the beach for a day of sun, sand, and Ashley was hoping for a third "s" to be added in there as well – sex.

One look, and the brunette could practically feel her body aching for Spencer. She wasn't even sure if the blonde was a good lover, because almost none of the random women Ashley had brought into her bed were as good as she was – not even really worth her while.

The only talented ones who knew how to get her off in practically record time were prostitutes, and Ashley wasn't that attracted to them anyway. Those hook-ups were fueled only by the piercing need to dull a pounding ache that Ashley was really no stranger to.

The brunette let out a trailing groan of impatience.

"You're so fucking slow, Carlin," she practically growled.

"Sorry!" Spencer called through the dressing room door in the most innocent of voices.

However, behind the door, Spencer's thoughts were far from innocent. The blonde tugged on her pants and smoothed out stands of her honey blonde hair that had fallen shamefully out of place.

A slight flush had come over her pale cheeks, since the room was rather warm. Most of the heat was Spencer's fault, though, as her thoughts at that moment weren't doing anything positive to lessen her being hot under the collar.

_I wonder if she only growls like that when she's mad. I bet I could make her growl by curling my fingers and getting her right... or maybe she's more prone to making those noises when she's in control. If I were to offer myself up to her, and let her pound inside as hard as she wanted. She'd do it then, I bet. _

Spencer sighed and stacked the bikinis that she wasn't going to purchase in a neat pile and took a final glance in the mirror. She could hear Ashley cursing slightly under her breath outside, letting her ridiculously short attention span come to the surface.

_She always acts so tough. I bet she's not always that tough. She probably squeals when she's..._

"Spencer! Jesus!" Ashley called loudly, knocking Spencer out of her lascivious reverie.

"Coming!" Spencer replied, trying to hold back the laughter in her voice from finishing her thought out loud. The fact that the brunette just outside was completely oblivious caused a little more humor to erupt, and Spencer exited the dressing room once she had regained her composure.

Spencer shut the door behind her, and Ashley shot up out of her seat immediately.

"Finally. You take forever, you know?" Ashley said as she and Spencer walked toward the counter to buy the bikini Spencer had picked out.

"Gee, it's like I'm a girl or something," Spencer commented, bumping Ashley with her hip playfully. Ashley bit down softly on her bottom to keep from letting out an embarrassing moan or grunt of arousal. She didn't like deceiving Spencer about her condition, but in this particular situation, she felt it absolutely necessary. At least, for the time being.

"Aren't you? You've certainly got all the right..." Ashley said, her voice gravelly and overtly sexual as her eyes panned Spencer's body, taking the blonde's comment as an open invitation for exploration, "parts."

"For someone of your kind, you're sure acting like you haven't had a good lay in a while," Spencer taunted, moving toward the counter. Ashley followed almost obediently, mostly out of the need to defend herself against Spencer's remark. The brunette knew, secretly, that this wasn't the real reason for following Spencer – checking out her ass wasn't, either.

It was because there was an aching feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever Spencer strode away from her, whenever she'd greet the brunette with the slightest hint of disapproval.

It burned holes, and caused Ashley to feel positively empty.

From somewhere in her core, and so frequently and with such intensity, that it almost caused the wayward girl to believe she had a heart after all. For years, she had suspected that hers didn't exist, and she was surviving simply on her good looks. Some days, she could argue that you couldn't feel a pulse – sometimes she was right.

"Of my kind? I take offense to that, I'll have you know," Ashley said, trying to disguise the sincerity of her words in jest.

"Your kind being the promiscuous 'player' type, Miss Davies. When was the last time you had another woman in your bed?" Spencer prompted after receiving her purchase from the kindly man who had replaced the girl from before at the register.

He kept giving the two odd glances followed and accented by eerily friendly smiles, and Spencer decided that it was no longer the place to have this discussion with the cute brunette, whose pout and seemingly false hurt feelings were having such a positive, amusing affect on the blonde.

"Three days ago, but I don't see how that's your business, Miss Carlin," Ashley said, spitting her words out with as much venom as she felt capable to retain. It was significantly less than in any other situation, but only because she was enamored with the magnificent blonde standing next to her, almost close enough for them to grasp hands.

"It completely pertains to me since I'm sure you have the intentions to bed me," Spencer said hotly, grinning wildly from ear-to-ear. "I might catch something. Who knows who these women you're inviting into your bed are."

Ashley stopped in her tracks. The blonde had stuck a nerve, and Ashley felt like she had been beaten down by God himself. Any false purity she had convinced herself she had was now gone, banished into the shadows. Spencer's eyes watched her without contentment or glee for once, and Ashley knew she felt bad. She, however, chose not to respond. Her voice came out jagged, rough and stocked to the brim with emotion, dangerous close to overflowing all over their shoes.

"Perhaps they were some just like yourself."

Ashley started walking at a brisk pace, not even bothering to breathe until she could have passed out from lack of oxygen. She hopped in the driver's seat of her car and slammed the door, almost causing damage to her precious vehicle. She rarely knew her own strength at times like these.

Her head sank back into the leather headrest, and auburn curls framed her face, her brow visibly furrowed in anger and confusion even with her eyes closed. Her hands clasped in her lap, and she started picking at old hangnails that were starting to heal. Anything she could grasp onto to keep her mind from fluttering and swallowing her whole was welcome – a friend.

Her feet kicked the dashboard, and a grunt of exasperation escaped her glossy lips. She could hear the clacking of shoes moving toward her, an attempt to catch up, to not allow a broken heart to remain open and bleeding for too long. Spencer Carlin was a sensitive soul, after all, and she could very well have been good at playing nurse. Ashley had never been a good patient, and didn't intend to start anything new at that particular moment.

_She looks so broken... innocent, almost._

Spencer approached the car and rested her hands on the passenger seat from the outside of the car, tapping lightly to get Ashley's attention on the off chance that the brunette wasn't already painfully aware of her presence.

"I'm sorry, okay? That was horribly rude of me to say," Spencer said softly, casting her eyes down demurely.

"You fucking should be sorry," Ashley growled fiercely. Spencer jumped slightly and then sighed.

"You don't have to be so hard around me all the time. It's okay to show human emotion, Ashley. Some of us girls enjoy someone tender," Spencer said sweetly.

"I don't know how to be that way, I'm afraid," Ashley replied, her words quick and stinging in nature. They took the desired effect on Spencer, making the blonde feel like a helpless victim to a hoard of stinging wasps.

"Let me teach you, then. You might like it," Spencer offered. She opened the car door slowly and tossed the bag with her swimsuit into the backseat. She sat down in the passenger seat and shut the door. Ashley's eyes snapped open, and she gazed blankly at the blonde. Speechless for once.

"What if I hate it?" Ashley asked quietly.

"Then I'll be proud of you for trying something new anyway," Spencer assured her, placing a gentle hand on the girl's knee. She felt it twitch in protest, but didn't remove her hand.

Ashley nodded, and Spencer wondered if that was really how she wanted to respond, or if it had just been caused from shock – a mere reflex.

"There's more to you than you see, Ashley Davies."

Ashley ruffled her forehead in a deep frown and continued her black state, dark, melting brown eyes searing into Spencer's. Intense as the gaze was, the blonde found herself rooted to the spot, mid-sentence, and incapable of looking away. She didn't want to move an inch.

"You'll have to show me. But I warn you, I'm a stubborn asshole, and I'm gonna give you a lot of shit for helping me," Ashley said cautiously, not wanting to accidentally lace her words with a joke or insincerity.

"I already know," Spencer said softly, her hand moving to caress Ashley's cheek. "And I'm not running."

Ashley smiled a cute little half-smile and wrinkled her nose. Spencer leaned in and placed a soft, tender kiss on Ashley's lips.

And the brunette felt her heart beating, practically strong enough to break out of pure joy. She was alive for the first time in her miserable life, and the milestone that brought her to that seemingly endless destination had Spencer Carlin written all over it.

Deep into the stone, and forever into her heart.

**A/N: **So... we're not in the bedroom yet. I know, I know. But I likes me some build-up, so you all will just have to forgive me. At least a little. More tomorrow! Thanks so much for the reviews (all of them are wonderful). More, please?


	20. Chapter Nineteen

A never-ending spiral of desire and passion washed over them as the hours passed. Each kiss the two girls shared connected them on a deeper level – passionate and intense in a way the previous one couldn't compare to. Spencer knew that Ashley was also getting more and more dangerous as they continued locking lips and bringing their bodies in closer, because with each inch forward, Spencer felt the brunette's strong grip latch onto her heart just a little harder.

Even the water got too hot after a while, and Ashley led Spencer to the beach. They laid out a white and blue striped beach towel that would be big enough for both of them as Ashley set up a bright, festive umbrella in the soft sand.

"Rainbow?" Spencer asked the shorter girl with a devious smile. "That's just too cute."

"What can I say? Something about them just makes me...proud," Ashley commented with a smirk of her own before laying on her stomach next to Spencer. The blonde propped up on one of her hands and gazed deeply into Ashley's warm brown eyes. They just stayed like that for a few instants, their lips swayed back and forth but never touching. They were absorbing their attraction and magnetism that had connected them since their first meeting.

They weren't ashamed of it anymore.

Even the parts of them that had been wary before were slightly lessened, for they were not afraid. Life happened. Things were good, and then they were bad, and everyone had to suffer through their own series of trials and tribulations. Even though Spencer's "happy family" was on the line, she stayed firmly put on that towel with Ashley. Each time they kissed, a pair of sharp scissors moved closer to the thread holding her life together. With time, the shears would close, snapping the thread and sending all she knew tumbling to the ground.

Spencer moved in to Ashley and touched their lips softly. Both girls felt the sparks fly from one pair of lips to the other, zapping them and bringing them closer still. Ashley let out a soft, breathy groan from the back of her throat and tangled her slender fingers in Spencer's hair, pulling the blonde's hungry mouth right against theirs. Tongues flew and caressed, discovering a new mate in the cavern that the other had to offer.

Within moments, Spencer could feel herself getting lightheaded. She grabbed onto Ashley's knee for support as they kissed, and the brunette scooted in closer to Spencer. Ashley's hand stroked over Spencer's smooth hipbone, caressing and teasing the heated skin just above her waistband and sending an shiver through Spencer that was bordering on being violent as she rocked in Ashley's arms. This was the only thing that broke their needy kisses.

"Are you okay? You're shaking..." Ashley said softly, cooing and fussing over the blonde. This was a side Spencer had never seen before. Her cerulean eyes locked with Ashley's, and she instantly erupted into a smile. They held the gaze for a moment before Spencer's body lurched forward, always needing contact, and placing soft kisses and playful nibbles along Ashley's collarbone.

"I. Am. Absolutely. Fine," Spencer said, punctuating each kiss with a breathy word in her sentence. "Never better, in fact. Although, if you stop what we're doing now, I might have to kill you."

This display of confidence sent the caring and doting Ashley back into her cocky mode, which caused Spencer to chuckle and nip harder at her jawline for an effect. Ashley whimpered softly as a response, and Spencer could feel the moisture seeping heavily from within her at the beauty of that simple, lusty noise. How would Ashley whimper when Spencer slid her fingers deep inside? Would it be the same noise?

"I don't usually go long without sex, but for some reason, when I'm around you, I feel like I've been starved for years. Starved of contact... of sweet skin to skin," Ashley purred as the blonde's lips traced up her neck as they basked in the cool shade of the umbrella, the colored fabric causing little rainbow patterns to reflect on their skin in blotches from where the sun shone through.

"I just got some last night, and all I'm thinking about is how good you'll be," Spencer slipped. A small gasp escaped her lips when she realized that her hard work in trying to hide her desire for Ashley, or at least a good ninety percent of it, was now gone.

This was no longer a game. They had been thrust into reality, left to deal with whatever thoughts and emotions would allow them to say or do as a response. There was no erase or rewind. There was only now, their state next to one another.

"It's only been three days for me. I was with a girl the night before I met you," Ashley said nonchalantly, tripping over her words when Spencer's eyes found hers. "She meant nothing."

_The fact that she feels the need to clarify that her one-night stands mean nothing is adorable._

"And now you're starving?" Spencer cooed, her voice dropping into a tone that practically stank of sexual promise, her fingertips trailing over Ashley's tight abs.

"Famished."

_We're acting like the most comfortable of lovers, gazing and touching each other like this in public. We should start charging admission, the stares we're getting... I like it._

Two dark orbs traveled over Spencer's honey-drenched skin, stopping to lick a few freckles on her shoulders and smooth her lips over the swell of a breast, allowing the sinfully sweet warmth of body heat and drying salt water collect on her lips before kissing Spencer, once more finding that need for connection hard to ignore.

The blonde no longer felt self-conscious or shy. She didn't need to move and double check that her body wasn't perfect. She had once thought that Ashley's scrutinizing gaze with those intense eyes and wayward hands was only going to make her loathe herself, but she was pleased to see that the effect was the positive opposite.

She was a beautiful girl, and she knew that – but Ashley made her see it. She could finally understand why so many fussed over her physical aspects just by staring into the brunette's eyes.

Spencer sighed when Ashley tore away her gaze and touched her hands to the cool towel that was shielding their skin from resting directly on scorched sand. She reached for a bottle of sunscreen and Spencer raised an eyebrow.

"You hardly look like you burn easily. Perhaps you were looking for the tanning oil?" Spencer suggested, her eyes locked on the bottle resting so deviously in Ashley's hand, her fingers wrapped around the white plastic.

"I rarely burn. But you are starting to look a little rare, Miss Carlin," Ashley said, fiddling with the bottle top.

"Better than well done, I suppose," Spencer chuckled.

"True," Ashley said with what could only be classified as a wicked grin, and motioned to the towel with her head, auburn curls dangling over her face at the slight motion. "Lay down on your stomach."

_This is going to be the death of me...but what a way to go._

Spencer complied instantly and laid face-down on the towel. Ashley moved to straddle her ass and squirted some of the sunscreen on her hand. The blonde's body shivered with anticipation at the sound and Ashley chuckled.

"I just don't want you to burn," the brunette murmured. "Imagine how painful... not to mention, the risks of skin cancer get higher with every sunburn."

"Wouldn't that be tragic?" Spencer chuckled. A gasp left her lips moments later when the cool sunscreen touched her warm shoulders, and her stomach muscles quivered when Ashley's nimble fingers started rubbing it into her soft skin. The scent of coconut oil aroused them both into a soft sigh, and Spencer closed her eyes. Ashley's hands and heat were all over her. This was paradise.

The brunette's hands kept rubbing over Spencer's shoulder blades and down her spine before stopping at the tie of her bikini.

"Can I undo this really quickly if I promise to tie you back up?"

Spencer nodded, and before she could finish the second nod, Ashley's hands had the tie undone and the ends down by the swells of her breasts that were being warmed by the sand underneath the towel. Her nipples were hard as rocks, and she knew Ashley would comment on them once she turned over. After Ashley reached her lower back, she placed a gentle kiss to the middle of Spencer's back, and the blonde let out a gentle moan.

"Be nice," Spencer chided.

"Aren't I always?"

Ashley's hands dipped to the waist of her bottoms and then down her legs, touching her ass where the bikini didn't cover, and then continued down the back of her legs, dipping her long fingers against Spencer's inner thigh every other second to send a visible pulse through the blonde's gently curved figure. She set the sunscreen bottle aside for a second and then tied Spencer's top back to how it was, then leaned over Spencer, her own hard nipples pressing into the blonde's oiled shoulder blades so the brunette could whisper in her ear.

"Turn over?"

Spencer turned again, resting her hands behind her head and smiled at Ashley as the brunette reached for the bottle again, pouring a little more onto her hands. She traced under Spencer's bikini straps and then over the swell of each breast, dipping her fingers under the fabric just slightly, inches away from a pert nipple, but refusing to engage. Tanned hands roamed behind Spencer's neck, down the gentle nape, and then to her stomach, brushing over her curves sparsely to elicit another shiver before dipping her middle finger about an inch under Spencer's bottoms again.

"Ash..."

"Shh..." Ashley cooed, taking her hand away and finishing by putting the sunscreen on the tops and sides of Spencer's long, smooth legs. The blonde sat up on her elbows and cocked her head to the side at Ashley.

"You done?"

"I am. And whatever... ache you're feeling now will be a distant memory when you're not sunburned later," Ashley said, grabbing the tanning oil for herself and starting to rub it on her smooth, lightly chiseled arms.

"Because right now, the sunburn is the most relevant thing on my mind," Spencer teased before lowering her lips to the brunette's, their slick skin sliding together and making a soft smack upon the passionate collision, their lips redetermining just what was on their mind as their hearts started beating faster, faster.

**A/N: **The wait is almost over. I assure you. I might even post another update today. Maybe. Let me know if I've teased too much!


	21. Chapter Twenty

**So... I hope this was worth the wait. WARNING: NSFW. That being said, enjoy.  
><strong>

Spencer shifted back against the blanket, letting the sun's rays wash over her now protected skin. She felt her body temperature rise and opened her eyes, sliding down her sunglasses and allowing them to rest on the bridge of her nose. She caught Ashley's smoldering gaze, and chuckled a little when the brunette quickly snapped her head in the other direction, looking away.

"Busted," Spencer laughed. "You were totally pulling an 'x-ray' vision moment."

"That's a lie!" Ashley said, defending herself again. "I could see you all the way naked if hadn't come to the beach, and had gone back to mine like I wanted in the first place, but I'm being good and settling for you in a bikini."

Spencer's jaw dropped, and she swatted Ashley playfully on the shoulder. The blonde felt the strong, taut muscles of Ashley's shoulders and biceps and bit her bottom lip softly. This girl really was strong, and had an amazing body. So slender to be supporting so much muscle and strength. Spencer could only imagine what it would feel like to have Ashley as a lover, the brunette controlling and leading with her movements and actions.

_I bet she's the 'press you against a wall and fuck you senseless' type. Yum._

Spencer scoffed.

"Settling. I'm sure you do that all the time, Miss Charm Your Pants Off."

"I wouldn't know a thing about settling, Spencer. You're the resident expert here," Ashley said with a lopsided grin as she sat up on the towel, resting comfortably backwards on her hands.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Spencer argued.

"I'm just saying – your girlfriend, Miss All American Goody Two Shoes, probably wouldn't agree with our little outing," Ashley said, waiting for Spencer to jump in with an off-hand remark. When she didn't reply, Ashley dove on the opportunity to continue. "Why are you with her anyway?"

Spencer tried her best to keep her eyes straight ahead in a bad attempt to conceal the lie that was about to rush out of her mouth.

"Because I love her, of course," Spencer said confidently. Ashley pursed her lips and rolled her eyes in a skeptical, and almost comedic gesture. She was not amused.

"No, you don't. But, whatever helps you sleep with her at night, Blondie. I can't judge," Ashley responded, sighing and stretching out her arms before resting back on them once more. Spencer fidgeted, suddenly feeling like the silence between them was too much. Too heavy to handle.

"You probably can't judge this one. I mean, have you ever been in love?" Spencer asked, feeling guilty the instant the loaded bomb and short fuse dropped from her pouty lips.

The waves crashing just a few feet in front of them seemed to get louder as Ashley sat in dead silence. Spencer started picking at the towel, a nervous habit she never previously knew existed starting to surface when seconds continued to pass with no reply from her brunette companion.

_Maybe she's thinking about it. Or maybe she's just pissed and is thinking of a way to kill me now that I've shattered her ego twice. Smooth move, Carlin._

Finally, she spoke up, causing relief to wash over Spencer.

"Can't say that I have. So, you're right – I wouldn't know a damned thing about love. But, I know what it's not, and with you and her it's... not. You two just don't click. Anyone with eyes could see it."

"Ashley..."

"That's why you won't marry the girl, right? Because you know. You're smart like that," Ashley stated, continuing on her tangent. Spencer simply closed her eyes, choosing not to respond either way. Ashley was right, but Spencer didn't want her to know that. "I'm sorry."

Spencer's eyes snapped open after Ashley's apology, which had caught her completely by surprise. Girls like Ashley Davies were known choke on apologies more commonly than actually saying them and not bursting into flames. Spencer eyed the brunette carefully.

"Sorry? Don't be sorry on my account," Spencer stated simply. Ashley's dark eyes moved across the space between them, surveying Spencer carefully. It was slightly predatory in its base and overt appraisal, like a hungry lioness. However, it was not sexual, which unnerved Spencer slightly before Ashley shrugged, causing the tension both in her and between them to fade.

"I should be sorry more often for the horrible things I say and do sometimes. Not having remorse is what makes the monsters, Spencer," Ashley said in a soft voice, and the blonde was reminded for a moment of a tone Erin commonly acquired when she was scared or sad. Innocent, and so lost.

"Off the record, I don't think you're a monster," Spencer returned sweetly, pressing her palm to Ashley's cheek. The brunette didn't take on any common expression, but stayed as empty as a white sheet of paper – her face almost refusing to contort.

"What am I?"

"Beautiful."

Ashley's hands found their way all over Spencer's body so quickly, and Spencer could feel her head swimming, spinning, and ready to explode. Was intimacy supposed to feel this sublime? Or was Ashley just perfect? Spencer watched Ashley's small, tanned hands with long, slender fingers roam over her hip and the curve of her torso and felt her body gasp slightly. They fit her perfectly.

"Ash..." Spencer sighed softly.

"I love touching you, did you know that? That's not a line or anything," Ashley purred into Spencer's ear as her lips dropped onto the nape of the blonde's neck once more. Spencer's eyes fell closed for a moment before she gathered up every bit of her willpower to keep them open. Ashley wasn't done traveling, and this embrace was all too comfortable. She wasn't about to stop watching. She couldn't stop watching...

"We just... fit," Spencer murmured, probably not loud enough for Ashley to hear her, but enough to get her thoughts out in the open with her emotions that were practically glowing and taking residence on her skin. Each molecule was humming and calling Ashley's name. They were completely in tune with each other, and Spencer knew that she would never feel this again, except in the brunette's strong arms.

"We do, Spencer. We do," Ashley whispered, her voice curling in smoky tendrils into the blonde's ear canal, causing her body to shiver and lurch slightly forward against the brunette. Spencer felt weak, but she had come mostly to the terms that this girl was her Kryptonite, and simply lifted her eyes to show Ashley everything she was feeling.

_Can't you see that I'm ready, Ash?_

The brunette's brown eyes followed up without words and searched through Spencer's, gauging the crystalline baby blues for everything they were worth. Receiving her answers, and trying to make sense of them in any way she could at that moment when her heart was beating so loudly, it almost sounded like a powerful bass drum.

"Spencer... do you want to come back to my place?" Ashley asked quietly, a slight trace of insecurity visible in her usually strong and confident voice. If that slight detection of a new emotion wasn't enough to sell Spencer on the fact that Ashley was just as nervous, but needy, as she was, her eyes said the rest.

Complexity and teasing answers weren't appropriate anymore.

"Yes."

Ashley nodded in understanding and Spencer felt the hand that was still on her hip tremble slightly. She arched into the touch to give the girl her final answer – that everything was okay, and she wanted this as much as her body was screaming for it. The brunette let out a gentle smile before her face broke out into a brilliant, knee-weakening smile and triggered the same smile from Spencer. The blonde leaned in and claimed Ashley's pouting lips in a sweet kiss, and Ashley didn't bother to deepen it. They wanted it to retain all the purity and tenderness of the moment, for the heat would be coming soon enough.

Spencer wasn't quite sure when the beach became Ashley's bedroom, but it did soon enough. She spaced out on the gaps of the moment, and decided to just let herself be in the middle of it all. Ashley closed her bedroom door and stood in front of Spencer, both of them still clad only in their bikinis. There was a light dusting of sand on their legs, and they reeked of sunscreen and tanning oil, but neither girl cared, as they were attune only to the racing heartbeats, shallow, panting breaths, and their arousal that was soaking the air around them like a blanket of thick fog.

"C'mere," Ashley commanded quietly, opening her arms for Spencer. The blonde was certain that she floated over to Ashley, and their lips landed right on target. The first kiss was much like their last one on the beach had been – slow and exploratory, gentle. Not at all what either of their bodies wanted, but they'd adjust to that later. Ashley's hands once again found Spencer's smooth hips and crashed their stomachs and hipbones together. At the contact of their bare torsos and the slickness of sunscreen and tanning oil, along with the delicious friction, both girls let out a moan. Ashley's eyes fluttered closed right before Spencer's hooded eyes, and the blonde chuckled. She was angelic.

"Ash..." Spencer moaned softly as she started laying a gentle path of kisses along Ashley's sensitive neck. The brunette shivered, and Spencer's tongue moved out to trace over Ashley's skin. She wasn't put off by the tanning oil, for it had completely soaked into the skin and just tasted like Ashley. Spencer guessed that the girl was no stranger to tanning anyway, since her body glowed with a pristine bronze glow. She probably always tasted slightly like tanning oil, and Spencer knew she'd start craving it after this night.

Spencer's lips traced up behind Ashley's ear, nipping at a soft spot behind the lobe and felt the brunette let out a loud, gasping moan as her hips bucked into Spencer's. She had found a weak spot, and the power of being able to cause such beautiful sounds from the brunette made Spencer's center throb with pride and need.

"I want you to fuck me so hard, Ashley. You promised once to free me... show me what it's like to be free," Spencer purred in the lust-filled brunette's ear. Ashley moaned softly at the husky tone the blonde's naturally sweet voice had taken on before pulling back and looking into Spencer's eyes. There was no turning back, she craved this. Both girls were in each other's blood, coursing through their bloodstream, a complete necessity. She'd never shake her out if she tried.

Ashley's hands took on a life of their own, wasting no time to push Spencer over to the large Queen size bed in the corner of her room, decked out in black and red satin sheets of the highest quality. Spencer's body bounced in the center at the force of Ashley's push and the brunette pounced on top of her once she got settled in the middle, blonde locks flowing back over the pillows, and her head almost to the headboard. Ashley snaked her hands around Spencer's back and deftly untied her bikini top, pulling it off in about a second before covering Spencer's breasts with her talented mouth.

The blonde's back arched, offering Ashley more of her breast once a silver tongue stud decided to join the motions and flicker over one of her erect coral nipples, its twin being lavished by surprisingly strong fingers, teasing and tweaking. Pulling, pinching, and then soothing with a soft palm. Ashley bobbed her head down over Spencer's nipple, sucking it hard into her mouth and lavishing it with her tongue while it was inside the hot cavern of her mouth. Spencer groaned and her hips arched as she felt her body rack with convulsions, and her center flood slightly. She had already experienced a small orgasm just from Ashley's contact on her breasts.

_Well, that's certainly never happened before._

Ashley chuckled lightly, resting her head on one of Spencer's breasts and looked up at her.

"A little worked up there, beautiful?"

"Just a little," Spencer admitted, slightly embarrassed at the reaction her body decided to take so prematurely.

"It's okay. You'll be getting more than just that one tonight," Ashley promised before switching hands, lowering her mouth to Spencer's other nipple and teasing her other, wet nipple with her fingers. She was a little rougher in her actions this time, and quicker since she knew Spencer didn't need much foreplay. Ashley was just exploring playfully, and wanted to get to know Spencer's soft, supple breasts like they were her own.

"Ashley, please..."

"Please, what?" the brunette asked as her mouth kissed lower.

"Oh, fuck!" Spencer called out at the feel of Ashley's mouth getting just an inch closer to where she needed her.

"I knew that's what you wanted..." Ashley teased as she licked down the soft muscle of Spencer's stomach, not defined abs like hers, but still slightly toned. She kissed her and bit down gently on top of Spencer's belly button, causing the blonde's hips to tremble before circling the area with long, swift strokes of her flattened tongue.

"Jesus!" Spencer screamed out slightly, her hips shooting off the bed. She had never been so aroused in her life. She could feel her juices dripping down her thighs and found there was no comfortable position at the moment except if Ashley's fingers were inside her.

"Not quite, baby," Ashley assured her as she removed her hands from Spencer's breasts and placed her fingers in the waistband of the blonde's bikini bottoms. At this point in time, Ashley wasn't wasting a moment and pulled them down quickly, throwing them halfway across the room. "The smell of you is driving me crazy. I want to taste you..."

Spencer groaned softly and nodded frantically.

"Please...please..."

Ashley placed her hands on both of Spencer's trembling knees and opened them, moaning softly at the view of Spencer's dripping heat. Spencer hadn't been kidding when she said she was aroused. Ashley grinned up at Spencer and started to place soft, sloppy kisses on the blonde's sensitive inner thighs, working her way up to her quivering sex.

Spencer tried to prop up on the pillows to watch, but before she could fully get to an upright position, she felt Ashley's tongue sweep from her slit, all the way to her nub. Spencer let out a hiss and then moaned, her hand tangling roughly in Ashley hair, keeping her at her center. Ashley's lips wrapped around her clit and sucked gently, her tongue stud rubbing it while it was inside her mouth just like she had done with Spencer's nipples. Spencer had never felt a tongue ring on her intimately before, but it definitely was nice. The fact that it was Ashley's made it even more spectacular, and Spencer was seeing stars.

She could feel a powerful orgasm building deep within her loins, and she knew there was no way she could hold back from exploding much longer. She wasn't opposed to Ashley bringing her over with her mouth, but her body was hungry for those strong fingers, so she decided to beg for it. There would be time for orgasms of this variety later.

"Ashley, baby..."

Spencer almost felt the need to chuckle at how Ashley perked and smiled at her, almost innocently from between her legs at her usage of the word "baby."

"Yeah?"

"I need you inside me..." Spencer begged.

Ashley grinned and licked at her clit once more before moving away slightly and running her hand up Spencer's thighs, smoothing over the wetness from her kisses and finally reaching Spencer's core. She traced two fingers along Spencer's slit and felt the blonde's copious moisture. She lowered her mouth there and lapped at it gently for a few seconds as Spencer let loose a strain of profanities from above.

"You taste so good. Like no one else, Spence..." Ashley moaned into her before teasing over Spencer's slick, hard clit with her fingertips. Spencer's hips bucked higher, and Ashley braced them down with her forearm and hand, wanting Spencer to simply feel and not react as much. A girl moving her hips during sex was her way of meeting the pleasure and riding it out, but by pounding inside her and keeping them still, she was more attune to each thrust. And Ashley wanted Spencer to feel everything.  
>"Please..." Spencer begged, her voice small and hoarse, hardly able to contain herself any longer.<p>

With that final cry of her need, Ashley took sympathy on the shaking blonde and slid two fingers deep inside Spencer's core.

"You wanted to be fucked hard, didn't you?" Ashley asked, recalling the blonde's words from earlier as she started up a slow, hard rhythm, driving her fingers deep inside Spencer's tight walls. She felt the girl squeeze her fingers with each thrust and grinned, her head still between the blonde's legs as she took another playful lick at the girl's clit, driving her fingers harder and faster inside.

"Yes, yes, Ashley! Please! Fuck!" Spencer moaned out, both of her hands shooting up to grab at the headboard, bracing herself as her hips struggled against Ashley's arm. She couldn't move, and she could feel each hard, deep thrust of Ashley's fingers. Before she knew it, she was begging for more, Ashley's pace was fueling her arousal and orgasm. She could feel it burning deep within her, and Ashley was bringing it to surface.

Ashley added a third finger and ducked underneath Spencer a little more, grabbing one of the blonde's legs and tossing it over her shoulder, making for a deeper thrusting pattern. She was almost erratic now, frantic, watching Spencer intently with those dark eyes, now shifting to a heavy black as she awaited her new lover's release.

Spencer was growling and screaming, moaning and purring, whimpering and trembling under the brunette's touch, and Ashley knew she only needed a little more. She needed to feel this girl fall apart in her arms. This had been building from day one, and Ashley knew that afterwards, things would never, ever be the same. Quickly, she leaned in and sucked Spencer's clit hard into her mouth, speeding her fingers up another notch.

There was no way to distinguish the sounds Spencer made as she came, but it was loud and long, lasting at least two minutes as her body bucked and trembled, her hands almost pulling the bed apart from the sheer force of her orgasm. Ashley watched every muscle in the blonde's body clench and release as her inner muscles fluttered over the brunette's long digits, her pace never slowing even through Spencer's climax.

"Fuck!" Spencer screamed once more before falling completely slack on the bed, her body trembling with little shocks, almost like she was being electrocuted even after the orgasm passed. Ashley slowly pulled her fingers out of Spencer and licked them clean before lapping up the juices that were flowing from Spencer. She placed a soft kiss to the girl's inner thighs and gazed up at her. Spencer's eyes were a gorgeous sapphire, deep and rich with emotion. The static charged between them, and Ashley felt her heart flutter as she saw the still-recovering girl smile.

"I love you, Spencer Carlin," Ashley whispered, only loud enough for both of them to hear. She wasn't sure if loving this girl was going to be okay, but she sure as hell was going to try.

**A/N: **And there it is. Let me know what you think because I'm an insecure writer. Especially when it comes to _this _kind of stuff. I hope you enjoyed.


	22. Chapter Twenty One

**Also NSFW. Read at your own risk.**

_"I love you, Spencer?" No fucking way – I must be dreaming..._

"Spencer? Did I lose you?" Ashley asked softly, looking up from between Spencer's legs, double checking to make sure the girl hadn't passed out. This was a common occurrence with some of the brunette's lovers. Ashley placed a hand on Spencer's thigh and traced soft, short circles. The blonde opened her eyes and then closed them again, repeating this pattern at least twice before sitting up slightly against the headboard, a small aftershock passing through her as she did so.

"I'm right here. Trust me," Spencer purred softly, Ashley's first statement still swimming through her brain.

_Mission accomplished, I suppose. She says she loves me..._

"Did I scare you?" Ashley said, catching onto what was in Spencer's head. For some reason, they could just read each other, and in moments like this, Spencer wasn't sure she knew how to deal with the aftermath of the brunette's statement. A day before, she would have been happy to hear those words, because they would have meant nothing but victory to her. But now, now it was a commitment.

"You want me to answer that honestly?" Spencer asked, pulling the covers over her body slightly, suddenly a little ashamed of her blatant nudity when Ashley was still fully clothed in what she had been before they started.

"Don't cover up..." Ashley whined, trying to pull the covers back down over Spencer's breasts. She jutted out her bottom lip and batted her long lashed, causing a slight chuckle to fall from Spencer's lips. "You're much sexier without those blankets."

"Did you mean it?" Spencer asked suddenly, deciding to take charge and address the white elephant in the room. Ashley had taken care to put it right in bed with them, and Spencer wanted it to be gone.

"That you're sexy? Hell yeah, I meant it," Ashley said, furrowing her brow and looking at the blonde like she'd gone insane.

"No... what you said before, Ashley," Spencer said quietly, her cheeks holding a slight tinge of red. Ashley tilted her head down for a second, as if she was trying to recollect, and Spencer felt her heart jump into her mouth.

_Why would she have said such a thing if she didn't mean it? I don't think girls like Ashley toss around that phrase without having some feeling attached unless they really want to fuck someone over._

"That... I love you?" Ashley said, saying each word slowly as if she was savoring her first taste of a fine wine. She was clearly testing them out, and yet they still held the emotion that Spencer would categorize as love. How could she not mean it? "Yeah, I mean that."

Ashley lifted her head to meet and hold Spencer's gaze, not wanting the girl to be scared away, but also needing her to know that every syllable of that simple phrase was sincere.

"Does that scare me?" Spencer asked softly, referring to Ashley's previous question. "Yes. It does."

"I'm sorry. I won't say it anymore if it bothers or scares you. I mean, it is a little soon, isn't it? I wouldn't know. I've never been in love before..." Ashley confessed, mumbling and stumbling over her words. Even nerves on Ashley Davies was sexy. Spencer leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to Ashley's forehead.

_She can't be the only one making confessions and spilling her heart like this... but I'm not sure I'm ready to open mine up so much. Especially since I know her secrets._

"I don't know if there is such a thing as falling in love too soon. If it's real, it's real," Spencer replied. Ashley smiled and wrapped her arm around Spencer's waist, laying them down together.

Without a word, Ashley took off her bikini top and bottoms so they could be fully connected, skin to skin. Spencer felt the need to touch, as her desire was peaked by feeling the gorgeous brunette right against her, knowing how aroused she must have been without release, but decided to keep things mostly platonic so they could finish their serious discussion.

"This has gotta be fucking real, otherwise I wouldn't have said anything. I wouldn't be... doing this. I wouldn't have kept wasting my time to chase you if I hadn't felt anything. Just would have let you go that one night if you hadn't jumped in my bed, and if you had, I would have definitely disappeared," Ashley said quietly, running her fingers through Spencer's smooth locks.

"I'm glad you didn't disappear," Spencer admitted. Ashley smiled and kept her dark eyes on Spencer's, easing her new lover into the rest of what she was trying to say.

"Why's that?"

"Because... because I love you, too," Spencer finished. The two embraced and met each others' lips with a series of deep, passionate kisses, driving their bodies once more into that of their partner's. Spencer's hands clutched Ashley's hips like she could lose contact at any moment, and Ashley kept one hand on the back of Spencer's neck, guiding her and sheltering her in each kiss, driving their passion higher and with an intensity that neither girl was sure their body could harbor.

"Spencer... please..." Ashley begged softly, pushing her hips into the blonde's. They were grinding and moving against each other in a fevered pace, and Spencer knew just what Ashley was begging for. However, she had never been one to give in easily, and needed to hear the words for her own contentment and satisfaction.

"Please, what?" Spencer teased, sucking Ashley's bottom lip into her mouth and then teasing it with her canines. Ashley moaned as Spencer claimed her lip and scratched along the blonde's lower back with her long, carefully manicured nails.

Spencer hissed at the contact, even though it was light and kissed the brunette with more heat than before. Ashley's tongue started to explore the cavern of Spencer's mouth and moved the blonde's tongue into play as their hands kept moving over smooth skin. Ashley's body was starting to recognize Spencer's and know it well, but Spencer's limbs and mouth were still unfamiliar with the taut territory of Ashley's body.

"Make love to me?" Ashley asked. Spencer stopped for a moment, feeling shocked at the words, which were more gentle than she had ever expected. She managed a smile and kissed the brunette gently, keeping the desire evident in each kiss, but giving her lover the softness she was clearly asking for.

Ashley had freed her from routine earlier, and Spencer wanted to break the girl's cold outer shield. She was asking to be loved, and Spencer knew all too well from what she was feeling that she would be able to deliver successfully.

"Is that what you want?" Spencer said, double-checking so she could make sure to give Ashley exactly what she needed, and nothing less. Their eyes met once more, and Spencer could see each speck of love for her floating in Ashley's intense brown orbs. Ashley nodded once and leaned in for a slow, sensual kiss, and Spencer was sure.

Her hands smoothed over Ashley's breasts, not wanting to miss an inch of sweet, soft skin. Her hands traveled around to the front, teasing each erect nipple with her soft hands.

Ashley moaned gently and focused her energy on not losing her gaze with Spencer. They both shifted so they were laying on their side, facing each other, hip to hip with only enough space between them for Spencer's hand to travel around as it needed to.

Even though they were warm, Spencer felt goosebumps cover Ashley's body in random patterns everywhere she touched, and it was intoxicating. Ashley's hips curved into her hand, and her eyes fluttered closed. Spencer could practically see the waves of pleasure soar through her, just as she had felt not moments before. Ashley was getting lost in her, and Spencer knew that she desired nothing more than to stay lost.

She was drunk on power – the power that comes from knowing the effect you have on another person. Especially someone you love and care about. Spencer touched her lips to Ashley's neck and sucked gently on her pulse, feeling the brunette squirm under her. She couldn't take much more teasing. She had been ready for this since they began, but was kind enough to send Spencer over first. Always thoughtful, to the very end.

"You really need me, don't you?" Spencer asked meekly, not sure if she was just imagining this. Two days ago, she never would have thought she'd be making love to Ashley Davies in her bedroom in broad daylight. Two days ago, she was as normal as someone could be who was living lies. Here, she felt like the truth was closing around her, and she couldn't have been more comfortable.

"You have no idea, baby," Ashley sighed, her hips once again writhing and bucking into Spencer. The blonde could feel her hands shaking, and Ashley sensed it.

Carefully, she grabbed her lover's hand and guided it to her center, lacing their fingers slightly so they were joined as one, both of their fingers sliding through her slick heat. Both of them let out a gasp, and neither could distinguish their voices. Spencer rested her forehead on Ashley's as they started to stroke together. For Spencer, it was like playing a part in helping the brunette masturbate, and for Ashley, it was driving her insane.

They passed over the brunette's clit and rubbed in circles, Spencer finally starting to develop courage enough to let herself know that she was enough to take care of this sexy woman, and their eyes locked.

"You can let go, Ash. Let me take care of you," Spencer growled.

Ashley nodded, her sweaty forehead still pressed to Spencer's as the blonde deftly slid two fingers deep inside her, her palm tilting upwards to strike against and rub her clit in delicate circles as her fingers matched the rhythm of Ashley's erratic heartbeat.

Ashley's hands gripped at Spencer's hips as a loud gasp left her lips, her body starting to shoot down with Spencer's fingers, pulling them in deeper with her strong inner muscles. The blonde groaned at the feel of the brunette's strength and tightness.

Their pace quickened as hips undulated against each other, legs tangling and bodies rolling around the sheets, staying close the entire time as Spencer pounded into Ashley, her movements ranging from slow and deep to hard and blisteringly fast. Ashley had never felt so loved, full, and satisfied.

Spencer felt her lover's taut abs clench and quiver against her own body as Ashley's head became visibly heavy, lolling onto Spencer's shoulder as she anchored herself through her orgasm.

"Spencer!" Ashley called with a strangled cry as every bit of her jerked and shivered, pulsing and racing to the finish line that had been a slow and merciless build-up.

The blonde caught the look in Ashley's eyes as they glazed over, only able to stay open for two seconds before slamming shut as the next few waves captivated the trembling girl in her arms. She had delivered more power through Ashley's body than she had ever guessed herself capable of delivering, and she couldn't help but smile with pride.

After the orgasm passed through her, Spencer pulled her fingers free from Ashley's body and licked them clean as Ashley threw her arms around Spencer, exhausted and searching for shelter. Spencer smiled and kissed the girl's dewy forehead, licking her fingers clean before wrapping both arms around Ashley and giving her the closeness she evidently was craving.

_I never would have thought such a strong girl would be so fragile in moments like these. She's beautiful._

Ashley buried her head in the crook of Spencer's neck and purred against her softly, and for a moment, Spencer thought she was snoring.

"Are you okay?" the blonde whispered as her breasts pressed against Ashley from their closeness. Their lower regions touched, and both girls shivered from the contact, but ignored the spurts of pleasure that shot down to their groins. After two intense orgasms, they needed a break before they could handle any more. For a second, Spencer wondered what time it was, knowing she'd have to be home before seven without causing Brooke and Erin to worry.

"Oh, trust me. I'm just fine," Ashley said with a soft smile before tilting her head to kiss Spencer. They shared a soft, intimate kiss that developed new meaning now that they were lovers. Spencer rested her head against Ashley's forehead again to stare into the brunette's gorgeous eyes that seemed to get lighter after intimacy. Ashley looked at the clock behind them and then threw it under the bed.

"What time is it?" Spencer asked suddenly, not really wanting to know, but also knowing that all good things had to, regretfully, come to an end.

"Does it matter? I'll let you know when you need to get home. Your family won't worry, I promise. Just... stay a little longer?" Ashley asked, her voice sounding small for a brief moment before she cleared her throat and rested a hand on the small of Spencer's back.

"I don't know if I'd ever want to leave," Spencer admitted.

"This won't be the last night, Spencer..." Ashley promised softly before pulling the other girl into her arms, kissing her forehead, and closing her eyes. "Rest now."

Spencer closed her eyes after taking a few more moments to study Ashley, who truly looked angelic when she was blissful and sleepy. The girl's words haunted her, as Spencer knew that time hadn't been on their side since the beginning.

_How can we have more nights when our time is almost up, Ashley? You only gave Aiden three days, and now day two is almost over..._

Spencer could feel the bittersweet agony clutching at her throat as she drifted off to sleep safely in the arms of her true love.

**A/N: **Again, I hope that lived up to expectations. This story is quickly coming to a close, and I want to thank you all (again) for staying with me, for riding this wave with me, and giving this story so much support during its resurrection. But, as Spencer and Ashley are realizing, all good things must come to an end. You'll see. Let me know what you think!


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

**This chapter isn't nice. You've been warned.**

_"Dennison! Where's my fucking money?" Ashley demanded, grabbing Aiden's dirty, tattered wifebeater and slamming him against a brick wall. His head hit hard with a sickening crack, and Ashley's eyes turned black with rage. The boy let out a whimper and looked into her eyes, his paled blues cast down as a trickle of blood ran down his sweat-soaked forehead. The rain pattered on the pavement behind them and soaked her disheveled curls as her laquered nails dug into his broad shoulders._

_"I d-don't have it, Ashley. I'm sorry..."_

_"You should be fucking sorry," she growled. She pinned him to the wall and released one hand from his shaking body. A powerful slap echoed throughout the alley, and her fingernails sliced down his cheek, two neat marks visible from underneath his left eye to his jawline. Again, he whimped, and she smiled. "You're a sorry little bitch, aren't you? That dick between your legs does nothing...you're not a man."_

_"Please...don't do this," he begged. Her eyes flashed and she brought her knee up between his legs hard._

_"Cry, Aiden. Cry like a little girl. Like your little girl. You know, I should slit her throat just because she looks like you. That's how sick you make me," Ashley said menacingly as Aiden sank to his knees. The rain poured harder and blood dripped down the front of his shirt. If he survived the night, it would never wash out. "But I won't. You know why?"_

_He couldn't answer. He didn't have the strength._

_"Answer me!" Ashley demanded, kicking him in the ribs._

_"Why?" he whimpered, looking up at the girl who was standing over him. She let out a soft chuckle and smiled. The smile that graced her gentle features was almost kind, with an air of malice that was only reserved for those she truly wanted to suffer. He hadn't felt suffering yet._

_"Because your girl gives me so much pussy, it's worth it to keep that your bastard child alive. If I fucked with her kid, she'd go away. And she's a damn good fuck, Aiden. Why would you leave her?" Ashley prompted, keeping the heel of her stiletto dangerously close to his groin. Heels that sharp could puncture, and he felt it._

_"We were y-young and...stupid," Aiden mumbled, his eyes filling with tears at the vision of his innocent daughter's face. He'd never see her again. "I couldn't handle it..."_

_"Well, well. It seems you can't handle very much of anything, doesn't it?" Ashley purred, running her stiletto over his crotch before taking it away from him, jerking her knee under his chin as he rested on all fours, trying to brace himself from the emotional and physical agony he was fighting through. He flew back against the brick wall and she stared at him for a second, her face void of emotion, before stalking forward._

_"I'll get you the money, Ashley. I just need more time. Ask Spencer. I'm good on my word," Aiden said softly. Ashley threw her head back and laughed, gazing down at him with contempt as he crawled back against the wall, hoping that there would be some way to escape. There was none._

_"That's funny, Dennison. You should be a fucking comedian," Ashley said, resting a hand inside her jeans pocket and grabbing onto something, but not putting it into play just yet. Aiden knew what it was, anyway. She didn't need to show him. "Now, Spencer and I don't do much talking, but I'm fairly sure she wouldn't nominate you for father of the year. She's holing up with women for a reason, you know. Not just 'cause she's a gay, but because you fucked her up. She's a good dyke, though. Strong fingers. They really... hit the spot."_

_"Please... just let me go," Aiden begged._

_Ashley sighed with exasperation and looked at him._

_"Dennison, I'm a businesswoman. My business isn't to be your friend and let you go. My business is to give you my product, collect my payment, and leave. Now, if you take my product without paying...I get angry. And when I get angry, people die. It's business. You tried to be a businessman once, too, didn't you?" Ashley asked after her speech was done._

_"I did?" he asked, trying to jog his hazy memory to what she was talking about._

_"You propositioned your ex-lover to seduce me, didn't you? You put her and your child in jeopardy to save your sorry ass. If it wasn't so selfish and pathetic, I might admire it. That takes guts," Ashley said with a half-smile. "No matter. She did her best."_

_Ashley removed the shiny switchblade from her pocket and popped the blade out. Slowly, she turned_

_it, letting the silver catch in the pale moonlight. Aiden watched for a moment, swallowing and saying a soft prayer to a God he didn't believe in, just in case._

_"She said she loved you, Ashley. You don't love her back?" Aiden asked, gathering up his strength for one last line of questioning._

_"Silly boy," Ashley said, kneeling beside him and carefully avoiding a puddle. She pressed the knife to his throat and smiled at him, watching his pupils dilate and feeling his body jerk against her. "I don't love anyone but myself."_

_Her last words were a whisper as she drug the blade against his throat, slicing deep. The blood sprayed out, and she did her best to avoid it, but it was too much. It soaked her shirt, and she was glad to be wearing black, as anything else would have been disastrous. She let his lifeless body slump to the ground a moment later and cleaned her blade off in the puddle at her feet. She dried it off on her shirt and closed it, tucking it carefully back into her pocket. The rain would wash away any evidence soon enough._

_She stepped away from the wall and back out into the torrential downpour and froze in her steps when she saw two glowing blue eyes gazing at her._

_"Jesus Christ, Spencer. Where the hell did you come from? I thought I told you to stay in bed, baby..." Ashley said softly, walking over to her and placing a hand on her hip. Spencer looked at Ashley and didn't say a word. Her eyes were blank, and Ashley drew her closer. The brunette leaned in and kissed her furiously. She was shocked when the blonde didn't respond to her attention, and pulled away, giving her an inquisitive look._

_"I heard everything," Spencer said simply._

_"Did you? Spencer, if you would just let me explain we can work this out..." Ashley said in a charming tone, running her hand over Spencer's breast down to the waist of her pants. "I'll make it all better."_

_"I'm sorry, Ashley..." Spencer whispered before placing her finger to Ashley's lips. "Close your eyes?"_

_Ashley smirked and did as she asked, not wanting to argue._

_She didn't even feel the metal of the .22 against her jawline before Spencer pulled the trigger, splattering the brunette's brains all over the pavement, just inches away from where Aiden's mutilated body lay. Spencer pushed her former lover's body away and turned, not wanting to lay an eye on the carnage before heading back down the alley, tossing the gun at Ashley's feet and hoping to feel better by morning. _

"ASHLEY!" Spencer gasped as she jolted awake from her nightmare.

"Spencer, are you okay?" Ashley asked softly, placing a soft kiss to Spencer's temple before wrapping her arms around the blonde protectively. They were wrapped in Ashley's soft sheets, still naked. "Baby, you were having a nightmare...I could hear you whimpering, and it didn't sound like a very good dream."

Spencer whipped her head around and gazed into Ashley's expressive eyes, so full of life and adoration now.

"I love you, Ashley Davies," Spencer confirmed.

"Spencer, I love you, too. What's wrong?" Ashley asked again, sitting up and pulling her lover closer to her. Spencer gripped onto the girl's warm body. The sun was shining brightly, and it wasn't even time for her to go home yet. They smelled of sex, and there was no blood in sight. Spencer could still smell the scent of copper and gunpowder from the most vivid dream of her life, and she could barely recognize the shaking of her body.

"Nothing, Ashley," Spencer said softly.

"That's not true and you know it. You're shaking like a leaf," Ashley murmured, kissing Spencer's forehead.

"It's nothing. Like you said, just a bad dream," Spencer replied, trying her best to smile. Every time she thought she was close, it ended up being something similar to a grotesque mess, which led her back into thoughts of Ashley's crumpled body from her own work. Every time Ashley spoke, she heard those menacing words. Was this the woman she loved?

Aiden was terrified of her for a reason.

"Spencer, you can tell me anything. You know that, don't you?" Ashley asked the blonde, not wanting to push. She gazed into Spencer's eyes and smiled, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind the girl's ear with the lightest touch Spencer had ever known.

"I know," Spencer said with a nod. She snuggled into Ashley and found that she was comfortable here. Even though the dream was barely gone, she was comfortable, safe, and warm. Trapped in the arms of the woman she knew she'd love with her last dying breath.

"If you're concerned about anything that has transpired this evening, I'd like to know. I want to make it better. Do you not think I love you or something? Because I do..." Ashley said quickly, worry creeping into her naturally confident voice. That was when Spencer realized she really was back in reality. In her dream, Ashley never faltered. She was barely human.

"Ashley, please..." Spencer said softly, placing a finger to the girl's lips before removing it and kissing her tenderly. Perhaps more tenderly than she would have liked in order to retain her false sense of inner calm. Ashley caught right on and cupped Spencer's cheek.

"No, Spencer. What the hell is going on?" Ashley pressed, raising her voice slightly. Spencer felt the fear flood her veins as her body went cold. There she was. Ashley Davies. It didn't take much, but when she was angered, she got loud and mean. Even though her voice had barely been raised, Spencer could feel the rage underneath her evey syllable.

It was innate, that darkness.

Spencer lusted for it.

"Will you just believe me when I tell you I'm fine? It was a stupid nightmare," Spencer told her, hoping that Ashley wouldn't be able to see through her feeble attempt at a lie.

"Tell me the content," the brunette insisted. Spencer sighed and rolled her eyes.

"It was about Brooke. She found out about us," Spencer lied quickly before giving Ashley a true smile. The image of her girlfriend's angry, jealous face flashed into her mind for a brief second, and she found it amusing. Evidently, Ashley's darkness was contagious.

"She'd pitch a lovely fit, wouldn't she?" Ashley purred.

"You have no idea," Spencer said, raising an eyebrow. She believed it.

"What a nightmare that must have been," Ashley sympathized before snuggling closer to the blonde.

"It was a doozy, to say the very least," Spencer sighed, allowing Ashley to relax back into her. They moved to spoon each other, Ashley behind her. The brunette pressed her full lips soothingly to Spencer's shoulder blade and mumbled.

"We're going back to sleep now. Just a couple more hours, and I'll take you home," Ashley said.

"That sounds lovely," Spencer lied again. "You really wore me out."

"I'm sure I did. Sweet dreams, Spencer," she said gently.

Spencer knew she wouldn't sleep for at least a week. The gunshot was too fresh in her mind.

**A/N: **So, this is where I remind everyone that this story, although it does have _some _redeeming quality (I think) is dark, and can't really end well. This is sort of the build-up to the breakdown, to the finale, if you will. So, grab something to anchor yourself. The rest of this story will make you feel things, or I'm not doing my job. I can't tell you how much I hated myself while writing these next chapters, but I wanted to stay true to my universe and my characters - tragedy happens. I just hope you all won't hate me too much. Let me know what you think, and thank you SO much for all the wonderful reviews.


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

**WARNING, WARNING: This chapter is dark, and also sexual, and sexually dark, and deals with an alternative form of "pleasure." If you are against certain dark kinks, or feel there's a chance you might be triggered, then please skip this chapter. You won't miss too much. Back to the story!**

Spencer didn't want to wake her for the world. She couldn't turn around to double-check if the brunette was still sleeping, but from the feel of her breathing, deep and slow, it was almost a sure thing that she was. She had been too awake and considerate to toss and turn, and her body refused to shut down.

She had killed Ashley. And over what – Aiden?

Was he a thing worth saving? A miserable existence of drugs and abandonment didn't make his life more important than Ashley's. But dream Ashley had been so cold, so bitter, and so violent it made Spencer nauseous to even think about it. The tone in her voice had been rock-hard and unbreakable. Impenetrable.

Spencer racked her brain that was slowly growing weary of thought. One of her main faults was over-thinking and over-analyzing, and now she actually had a reason.

Why would she kill Ashley? Sure, she made a threat against Erin, but she probably wasn't serious. Killing a grown man who snubbed you for drug money was one thing. An innocent child of the woman you love is an entirely different story.

But then...her statement before slitting Aiden's throat.

_I only love myself..._

Dream Ashley didn't love her. The Ashley sleeping behind her said she did, but Spencer could lie. If nothing else, Spencer knew how to lie. She told Brooke she loved her all the time. One look into the brown eyes of the girl behind her, and Spencer knew that she didn't really love Brooke. It was comfortable with her, and she was a good second parent to her child. Love didn't come into play.

She hadn't ever really loved Aiden. The night when Erin was conceived, she lied and told him she loved him to make the situation less awkward, but it wasn't a truthful statement. Spencer remembered his clumsy hands fumbling over her body before they started falling into a pattern of his thrusts and Spencer's discomfort.

She never really wanted him. He and Brooke were both lovers of convenience. To make her feel normal.

Ashley said it best: "We're not so different, you and I..."

_Am I her lover of convenience? That delicate girl that makes her feel less like a monster? Will she keep my face in her mind and hope to feel the warmth of my body against hers when she comes home after slitting Aiden's throat?_

Spencer glanced at the clock. The blaring red numbers read that it was 5:30, and Spencer knew logically, she'd have to be home by 8 at the very latest to escape the inquisition from Brooke.

_I don't want to wake her..._

Spencer brushed a few strands of her hair over her shoulder, clearing her vision so she could glance back at her lover without moving too much. Ashley's arms had loosened around her slightly during her slumber, and Spencer could see that she appeared to be far gone.

Sleeping in the daytime was something to be taken advantage of when the opportunity was given to you, and Spencer had originally intended to enjoy it and the post-orgasmic bliss wrapped up in this beautiful woman's strong arms. Even though she was a paradigm of darkness and death, of violence and blood, Spencer saw her as a sanctuary.

Slowly, the blonde slipped from her arms and padded toward the shower, gathering her clothes without a word. The floorboards squeaked softly under her feet, and she scampered out of the bedroom. Ideally, Ashley would stay asleep through the duration of her shower, and Spencer could wake her, clean and refreshed, and remind her kindly that she needed to be taken home.

Ashley would have to drive her back to the beach where her car was parked, and from there they would no doubt go their separate ways. It wouldn't do for Ashley to physically take her home, for fear Brooke might witness something that Spencer couldn't even lie her way out of.

_The beach is neutral territory. Perfect for a goodbye kiss._

Spencer opened the bathroom door and set her clothes on the sink. The bathroom was spacious and sparkling clean, with marble sinks and tile flooring to match. The entire room was set in a gorgeous forest green and ivory color scheme, with a light floral pattern that reminded Spencer slightly of a jungle.

The smell, however, was uniquely Ashley. Spencer felt her heart start to race again as she inhaled, her eyes fluttering closed as if the brunette were enveloping her in strong arms and smooth, graceful hands.

Ashley's touch was enough to make Spencer's body shiver and collapse into a melted heap. That girl knew how to love physically, and it seemed that she needed Spencer to teach her the other side of love that wasn't hands and tangled limbs.

The blonde wasn't confident about her skills at teaching this particular subject. She knew nothing of love except what she had read in stories and seen in the movies. Spencer hoped that Ashley wasn't relying on her guidance here, for she would have nothing to show her. They would have to learn together, and despite the dream Spencer was still suffering flashes of here and there, she wanted to stay close enough to Ashley to learn with her.

Ashley would be her first.

Spencer opened the shower door and started the water, keeping the temperature at the perfect blend of hot and cold, a nice medium temperature that wouldn't scald her skin or shock her since her body was still slightly warm from being in such close quarters with the enigmatic Ashley Davies. Once the water was just right, Spencer stepped in and shut the door.

Surely Ashley wouldn't mind her taking a shower, since they were on somewhat of a time crunch. Spencer felt the spray hit her body in all the right places as she relaxed, needing to feel the release from her muscles from the dramatics of her day.

So much had happened in not even 24 hours. That dream was just the icing on catastrophe's birthday cake. Spencer reached for the body wash and dumped some into her hand. She could barely look down at herself anymore, because she was still in a state of shock. Sometimes she'd look down and see a lifeless Ashley at her feet or a smoking gun in her hand.

And then there was the blood...

_Will I ever be able to wash her imaginary blood from my hands? She's a killer in my dreams, but then again...so am I._

Spencer pondered for a moment if her new lover had ever actually taken a life. Was it easy for her? Aiden had seemed so confident that she had, but Spencer almost couldn't believe it. Sure, she had been hostile with the hobo in the alley the night they met, and Spencer had seen that evil glimmer in the brunette's dark eyes. But could she amount to murder?

Spencer started to rub her hands over her body and coat herself in the body wash, trying to erase her awkward thoughts and the feeling of existing in a semi dream-like state where she was just like Ashley. Spencer knew she'd need to file for sleep medicine soon enough, because she wouldn't be sleeping for at least a week.

The blonde was gone now, floating in her thoughts as her hands roamed her body. Over her breasts and erect nipples that had no reason to be that way, across her silken flesh that was soaked in the warm shower spray. She didn't hear the shower door, and jumped once two hands moved over hers and a body pressed up against her from behind.

"If you wanted a shower, you should have woken me up," Ashley purred in her ear.

"Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me," Spencer said, turning around in her lover's arms to gaze into her steady eyes. Ashley smiled and kissed Spencer's forehead.

"Spencer, baby, I scare the shit out of a lot of people. You wouldn't be the first," Ashley assured her softly, grabbing the blonde's hips and pulling their bodies together. Spencer shivered, but kept Ashley's gaze.

"You must be a hellion in the business world," Spencer commented, watching Ashley closely for clues after she reacted. She caught a slow smile and soft chuckle from the brunette as she tilted her head to the side, trying to say exactly the right thing. Spencer knew this maneuver well. She was trying to think of the perfect lie.

"There's a reason why I'm the best at what I do, Spencer. If you want to call that being a hellion, than that's what I suppose I am," Ashley said with a charming smile before lowering her lips to the blonde's, letting Spencer feast on their softness as Ashley encircled her waist with her arms.

Spencer's body slammed into Ashley as their lips met, instantly deepening the kiss and sampling every bit of Ashley that she offered up to the girl. Spencer pressed her wet breasts to Ashley's as they stood under the spray, getting soaked and lost in each other.

Their moans echoed in the vast shower space, and Ashley flipped them around so Spencer had her back against the far shower wall, away from the spray so it wouldn't hit her in the face. The spray pounded down Ashley's back, and the brunette gave her a hungry look.

"Every time I see you like this, overwhelmed by your desire for me, I want to make you mine," Ashley purred as her lips latched onto Spencer's neck. The blonde gasped and threaded her fingers through Ashley's thick, wet curls.

"Why don't you?" Spencer moaned softly as Ashley sought out her pulse and nipped at it with her teeth, causing the pace of her heartbeat to increase tenfold.

Ashley purred and growled softly into Spencer's neck as her fingernails sunk gently into Spencer's hipbones, causing the blonde's center to gush. The mix of pain and pleasure had always been marvelous to her.

"Wouldn't do to have your girlfriend undress you at night and see my marks all over you..." Ashley said softly.

"What if I asked you to?" Spencer asked, her eyes flashing with mischief. The blonde could feel her body shiver at the thought of undressing for a shower every morning and seeing Ashley's teeth marks or hickeys in the most erotic and intimate of places. It turned her on beyond belief.

"Hold that thought," Ashley said, opening the shower door roughly and reaching around to a medicine cabinet that was within reach. Spencer watched her lithe body move and tried to figure out what she was doing. She must have missed it, because Ashley got what she wanted and shut the shower door without Spencer even seeing a glimmer of whatever it was she retrieved.

"Marks are permanent, Ashley. They don't go away," Spencer started to say, her mind almost catching on to what Ashley was going to do. She felt a little scared, but realized that it was a maneuver that was purely Ashley. "And I don't want you to go away. Not from me. Not ever."

The brunette smiled wickedly, "I'm so glad you feel that way, Spencer."

Before Spencer could even respond with a smile, Ashley spun her around so her breasts and entire front was pressed firmly against the tile wall. Ashley's body pinned her into place, and even though Spencer knew that with a proper struggle, she could escape, she didn't want to.

"Ash...what?" Spencer asked, turning her face to the side to speak. Ashley placed a gentle kiss to the area right above Spencer's shoulder blade, almost at the top of her left shoulder. The skin there was soft and smooth, and Ashley sighed against it before licking it gently with her tongue. Spencer sighed at the cool metal of Ashley's tongue stud and felt her body jolt when she heard a click. "Ashley, what the fuck was that?"

"Easy, baby. I won't hurt you. Just gonna leave you with a little somethin'. Unless you say no, of course," Ashley purred, licking along the back of Spencer's neck and moving her hair out of the way, over her shoulder.

"It's gonna hurt," Spencer remarked, the mystery item finally dawning on her. She had been aroused when she first saw it in that alley, and petrified when it came into play in her dream. Ashley's switchblade was about to kiss her skin, and not to bring death. To bring pleasure and to claim her.

"A little. It'll go away. Just leave you with a pretty scar," Ashley cooed as she moved her right hand upward. Spencer shivered softly and leaned more firmly into the wall, trying to anchor herself on the wall. "I'll make it small..."

"What's it gonna be?" Spencer asked, eager in a way to know the marking Ashley was going to bestow upon her sun kissed flesh.

"Just an 'A,'" Ashley said softly, kissing that area above Spencer's shoulder blade once more, marking and preparing it for incision. "Right here."

"You've done this before?" Spencer thought out loud, the sentence coming out as a middle-man between a statement and a question. Ashley laughed softly and soothed Spencer's nerves.

"No. You'll be my first," Ashley informed her. "Are you ready?"

Spencer nodded, for words were becoming difficult and Ashley kissed the area once more before pressing the cold steel against Spencer's warm flesh. The blonde moaned out at the first prick and watched the bottom of the shower flush with the red of her blood.

She tried not to tense up as Ashley carved into her skin. She was as gentle as one could be, taking quick, long strokes so Spencer would never feel the blade's kiss too long. The final cut was made in less than a minute and Ashley pulled the blade away. Spencer heard a soft click of it closing and felt Ashley's lips over the cut.

"Even here, you taste delicious," Ashley purred. If it were with anyone else, Spencer knew she'd feel disgusted. But for some reason, Ashley pulling her into her darkness was incredibly arousing. Spencer felt her center throb, and she knew she was the wettest she had ever been. Ashley must have read her mind, because not a second later, she was sliding two long fingers inside Spencer's heat. "I want to make you cum for me, Spencer..."

"Fuck, Ashley!" Spencer whimpered as her body slammed down on Ashley's fingers, tightening around her digits and pulling them in deeper. It wouldn't take long, and she was preparing to give her entire self to this beautiful woman behind her.

"I love you, Spencer..." Ashley said in a smooth, gentle voice as her fingers claimed Spencer's most intimate place, searching and thrusting, her thumb coming up to rub against Spencer's clit as she stayed behind the blonde, pressing her breasts and hard, slick nipples against the middle of her lover's back.

As the brunette sped up her pace, Spencer felt herself almost lose consciousness, a mixed blow from the blood loss and insistent fingers inside her. She was cumming harder and faster than she ever had before, and her hips bucked hard into the tile wall, the added pain from the collision sending her over the edge with a squeal. Ashley kissed her new marking and held Spencer in her arms.

She turned off the spray and spun the blonde around to face her again, kissing the blonde's lips and then licking her fingers clean of Spencer's juices.

"We need to get you cleaned up. Don't want you to get infected," Ashley said before handing Spencer a red bath towel to dry off with. They took turns drying each other, and Ashley slipped into a black silk bath robe before offering Spencer a twin version to cloak herself in.

"Thank you," Spencer said softly, kissing the brunette. "I love you, too."

Ashley's eyes cast down for a second before moving up to Spencer's. For a second, the blonde wondered if Ashley was going to cry. Her voice was husky with emotion when she spoke.

"You need to leave her, Spencer. There's room here for you and Erin. You need to leave her," Ashley said suddenly, her eyes getting dark, but never in anger. Spencer saw the need Ashley felt for her and stroked the girl's cheek.

"I know. Will you trust me to tell her by tomorrow?" Spencer asked the girl as she quivered softly from emotional agony.

"Yes," Ashley said simply.

_If Erin and I move in tomorrow, she won't be able to go kill Aiden. She'll forget about him, and this can all be over. I just won't let her leave._

"Okay. I'll tell her tomorrow, and then Erin and I can start moving in. Maybe I should tell her tonight. It'd be much better to have the entire day to move in tomorrow," Spencer said. The idea wasn't the best for her daughter, but it was clear that Ashley needed her, and Erin already took a liking to Ashley in the park.

"Spencer, you'll have to forgive me, but I have a very important business meeting tomorrow evening I have to attend to. Day after tomorrow, though – I'll move you myself. I'll call a van tonight, set it up. Deal?" Ashley said with a radiant smile.

Spencer's heart sank, but she forced herself to smile.

"Of course, Ashley."

_She won't stop. My nightmare...it's going to happen._

**A/N: **Hopefully I haven't made anyone cringe too much. Please keep reading! Also, double update yay? Let me know what you think! I'm excited (and nervous) to read your reviews._  
><em>


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

Spencer could feel the burning in her shoulder blade now, heavy and insistent. Throbbing as she gazed into the dark eyes before her. They were smiling at her, and she couldn't help but feel warm despite the frantic beating of her heart. Time was rushing to a close, and she was watching helplessly. Standing at the face of the cliff and watching the action before her, chained to the hillside and unable to jump or do much of anything but scream.

"Spencer, we really need to get you cleaned up," Ashley whispered before decorating Spencer's lips with a gentle, sweet kiss and leading her down the long corridor to the kitchen they had been in on that night they first met. Spencer took care of Ashley's wounds then, and even in the light of day, everything looked so familiar.

Ashley's strong, yet delicate hands lifted Spencer up on top of the counter before she moved around the kitchen, bustling to find the ingredients to clean her lover with. Hydrogen peroxide, gauze, and the homemade Davies' dressing landed on the counter in scattered succession and Spencer watched with a smile. Ashley turned her gently and peeled the robe down over the cut that had stopped bleeding, but was still red and angry.

The silk had been brushing against it and irritating it – that much was clear.

"I'm a tough girl. No need to treat me like a baby, Ash," Spencer said when she watched the careful way her lover handled the bottles and strands of gauze. Her fingers traced each item delicately, never holding them too long in her grip and looking back to Spencer every three or fewer seconds with a loving, soft glance.

_She has a soul. How could someone so beautiful and loving be a monster?_

"I just want you to know that I'd never hurt you," Ashley murmured as she poured a little bit of the clear peroxide onto a cotton ball and touched it to the area where Spencer's cut was slowly healing.

"I know," Spencer responded softly.

After the peroxide sank into the depth of the cut, which was fairly deep, Spencer winced and her eye twitched gently, her body slowly adjusting to the stinging pain of the cold antiseptic.

Ashley kissed Spencer's inner wrist and laced their fingers together with her free hand as she swabbed the area of the cut thoroughly and then pulled her hand away. She poured a little bit of the dressing onto clean gauze and taped it onto Spencer's warm skin.

It looked like she had gotten a tattoo, and in many ways, she had.

"Keep it clean and dry. If something happened to you..." Ashley said, her voice dropping to a morbid seriousness.

"Nothing will. You've taken excellent care of me, Dr. Davies," the blonde replied, ducking in for a slow, deep kiss, their tongues tangling as Ashley gripped Spencer's hips and stood between her legs as she was still perched on the counter. Spencer coiled her legs around Ashley's waist and pulled her in closer until their torsos were touching and their hips collided, both girls feeling the heat from the motions of their swaying bodies and frenzied lips.

Ashley brushed her hands up the outside of Spencer's silken thighs as the robe fell back, exposing her creamy flesh. Spencer shivered at the touch, goosebumps forming instantly.

Ashley pulled her lips away and brushed against Spencer's pulse, keeping her new lover firmly against her and not giving her any slack to move. Spencer gasped and opened her eyes to meet loving, warm brown orbs. A smile unleashed, and Ashley's followed.

"I've owned a lot of things, Spencer. But nothing's ever really been mine...you know? Does that make any sense?"

_Are you saying I'm yours, Ashley Davies? Because I want to be..._

"It makes perfect sense," Spencer said with a smile.

"I don't want to let you go, now that I have you..." Ashley responded, her smile fading for a moment as those eyes Spencer loved grew dark and intense.

"Then don't. You don't have to. I'm yours," Spencer gushed, her words flowing freely from kiss-bruised lips.

Those words had been uttered once to Aiden before their clumsy night of conception, and to Brooke years ago.

Those words had become Spencer's prison, because never in her life had she felt like she belonged anywhere, especially not to another person.

Those words were now sincere. Third time's the charm.

Ashley's arms fell slack around Spencer's hips, and the blonde frowned. Ashley looked down at the clean linoleum of her kitchen and strands of damp hair fell sideways over her forehead.

"Do you think Erin will like me?"

The tenderness in which the words were uttered broke Spencer's heart and healed it all over again. With each new sentence and smile, Ashley Davies was smoothing the cracks in Spencer's heart that had been prominently setting up shop for years, unattended. No one had been able to reach them and make them go away completely. They'd disappear for a few weeks and resurface, like a poison.

But now, Spencer could actually feel them healing.

"Honestly, I think it will take her a little bit of time to get used to living in a different house away from Brooke. I'll let her visit occasionally, so that will work itself out. As far as you're concerned, I don't see why she wouldn't love you..." Spencer commented, brushing her thumb against Ashley's cheek and smiling at her.

Ashley grinned in response, "I've never had a family. I don't want you to pity me, Spencer, but I've been alone since I was sixteen. Raising myself and raising money however I could. I always, always wanted a family."

"And now you've got one," Spencer said, her eyes stinging, almost at the verge of shooting off tears. She fought them, but Ashley understood and kissed above her left eye.

They kissed tenderly, falling into each other and clinging for support. When they broke, the tears were fresh in both of their eyes, and Spencer flung her arms around Ashley, bringing her close. She wondered if Ashley cried often, and figured that it was highly unlikely. She loved her even more for feeling safe enough to cry in front of her. It was admirable, and it was pure.

"As much as I don't want to say goodbye, we need to get dressed and get you home," Ashley stated. All Spencer could do was nod. As carefully as she had placed her up there, Ashley lifted Spencer off the counter and placed her safely on the ground. They padded back to Ashley's bedroom and dressed silently.

Spencer tugged on her clothes from before, and Ashley dressed in a navy blue tank top and acid washed jeans that were ripped, low-slung, and torn in all the right places. She wore her leather jacket over the tank top and tousled her hair.

A few moments later, Spencer could feel Ashley's eyes watching her as she slid her peasant top carefully over her shoulders, moving it so it covered the gauze and tape. It was semi-sheer material, so it was visible if you wanted to scrutinize, but Spencer figured that it would be okay. After she couldn't handle feeling the intense watch of Ashley's eyes, she turned and flashed her lover a smile.

"Something on your mind?"

The brunette smirked and slid on a pair of simple black flip flops, walking over to Spencer and placing her hands rightfully on the blonde's hips. She watched her own hands for a moment before raking her eyes up to Spencer's face, stopping to glance over the thin lines of exposed skin for a moment before bursting into a full smile.

"You're glowing," Ashley remarked knowingly.

Spencer scoffed and licked her lips absently, "Well, fuck – I wonder why..."

"Could be all the amazing sex we've been having. The best I've ever had, I don't know about you..." Ashley said with an adoring smile as she pressed her body up against Spencer's, brushing her fingertips gently over the blonde's tender shoulder in a caring, yet possessive manner.

"You know it was the best," Spencer corrected, moving against Ashley in return, unable to keep her distance even if she tried. It was impossible – she needed her like oxygen, and without that sweet contact, she was getting lightheaded. Once they moved in together, she'd never have to stop kissing, touching, and making love to this beautiful, striking woman. Except when Erin was around, of course.

It was all a perfect dream, and Spencer knew she'd do anything to make it come true.

"I do, but you know how I like to make damn sure," Ashley said with a mischievous smile and head tilt that caused Spencer to chuckle sweetly. A few seconds later, Ashley's lips were once again latched onto Spencer's neck, murmuring promises of love and affection as they started the spark from deep within the blonde's core.

"Ash, if you insist on taking me home, you'll have to stop doing that," Spencer informed her lover. Ashley pulled away reluctantly, and shoved a pout up in Spencer's direction, mimicking a small child that had just had candy or a toy taken away and was being sent into time-out.

"Doing what?" Ashley purred, her face shifting into mock innocence that Spencer found completely adorable. And sexy, since she knew it was all just an act in hopes to get in her pants just once more.

"You know what, troublemaker," Spencer chided softly, swatting Ashley on the ass and letting her hands linger just a moment too long. Ashley chuckled darkly and pressed her breasts to Spencer's.

"Practice what you preach, Miss Carlin," Ashley said as her arms completely encircled Spencer's waist, indulging in her softness and body for as long as she was able. Saying goodbye would be so very hard.

"We just got all dressed and I want you to ravage me again," Spencer confessed, her eyes growing dark at the words she had uttered and the thoughts they provoked. The images of their mind-blowing sex that was still fresh in her mind. That would linger for days and days.

"I love it when you talk dirty," Ashley growled in Spencer's ear, moving in for another, hungrier kiss. Spencer ducked out of it a few moments later and pressed her finger to Ashley's lips, making a soft "shh'ing" sound.

"Baby, we really need to stop," Spencer said hesitantly, her body saying something completely different than her heart and her head. She didn't want to leave. She wasn't sure that she could.

Ashley certainly didn't want her to leave, but she nodded. If nothing else, she understood necessity, even if she disagreed.

"I'll take you to my car, and then we'll get yours at the beach. If there's a ticket, I'll take care of it," Ashley said, all business, her voice slightly stiff. Spencer could hear the pain in it. Evidently, she wasn't fond of goodbyes, even for a short time. Maybe she feared the outcome of things tomorrow as well.

_If she thought things would end badly, she wouldn't go. Right? Please, God, say she wouldn't go..._

"I can handle it, Ashley," Spencer assured her, keeping her arms wrapped gently around the brunette's neck, tracing up and down the back with her fingernails, just underneath her soft mane of dark curls.

"I'm not leaving you at the beach, you know. That's not where we say goodbye," Ashley said powerfully, startling Spencer a little bit.

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked, confused. Dark eyes looked up into hers finally, and Spencer could see her suspicions had been correct – saying goodbye was breaking her heart. Spencer was having trouble not crying, for she would have liked to be able to spend the night here, with Ashley. To sleep peacefully in her arms and wake to those eyes that she knew she could never live without.

But Erin and Brooke needed her, and Brooke deserved an explanation. Tonight, she'd tell her. Tonight, she'd pack. There were only so many nights she could stand without Ashley, and then she might implode.

"The block before your happy little suburb – I'll drive behind you. We'll stop there, and..." Ashley said, choking on her words before she could finish. It didn't matter, anyway. Spencer knew what she meant, and it hurt to even think of it.

"If that's what you need, babe," Spencer assured her, brushing the back of her hand along Ashley's cheek. She couldn't help but smile at how Ashley responded, moving into her touch and then turning her hand so she could place three soft kisses along her palm, moving up her fingers with the kisses and causing Spencer to sigh.

"I just need you, but we're going to have to wait for our morning..." Ashley admitted freely. It was endearing now, how she no longer skimped on emotion. She put everything out there for Spencer, good and bad. It was a quality one could only admire. Spencer loved her even more because of it.

"When we get it, I have no doubt it will be anything short of perfection," Spencer promised, leaning in for another slow kiss. Ashley pulled away and smiled, the first real smile since they mentioned parting ways.

"I've already seen perfection in you. Nothing else could beat that, but I'm hoping it comes close," Ashley whispered against the blonde's lips.

Spencer pressed the palm of her hand against the back of Ashley's head and led her into another kiss, longer and more passionate this time, robbing their lungs of breath before they broke – still connected at the heart.

"We need to go," Spencer said, keeping her eyes trained on Ashley. Her lover nodded once, then twice to shake free the emotions that were quickly surfacing.

"Yeah," Ashley said quietly, lacing her fingers with Spencer's and walking toward the front door, abandoning everything they had built during the course of the day and leaving it in the house for them to return to in the future. That is, if everything went according to plan.

The ride from Ashley's house to the beach was a silent one, but their hands never parted. The ride from the beach to Spencer's block, however, was painful. Spencer could feel the dull pounding of her heart against her body, betraying her, begging her to stop driving. To pull a U turn in the middle of the highway and go back to Ashley's. To kidnap Erin sometime tomorrow and leave Brooke a note.

She would have, too, if she wasn't an adult. Adults had to behave responsibly. Had to talk things out. Brooke's two years with her gave her the rights to an explanation, at the very least. Spencer just had to get the strength.

She pulled off to the side of the road right before her suburb started and watched as Ashley's car pulled in behind her. Spencer got out of the car and rested against the side of the driver's seat door that was now closed as Ashley turned off her engine and got out.

"So, this would be where you turn around and go home. I've got to go the other way..." Spencer said in a quick jumble of words that made no sense to either girl.

"Don't re-hash things that make my heart want to stop beating, Spencer. Please," Ashley said in the smallest, most vulnerable voice she had ever heard pass through anyone's lips. And this was the heartless, brutal Ashley Davies. The unstoppable killer and drug lord.

Her love.

"I'm sorry," the blonde said, pressing her hand to Ashley's cheek once more. Ashley pressed Spencer back against her car and kissed her deeply, furiously, passionately. She was trying to make up in kisses for the words she could not say without crying. She never cried.

Crying was a weakness, and she had already admitted that Spencer was one weakness. Why cop to another?

Spencer returned the kiss with need, her arms finding their rightful place around Ashley's hips, encouraging her and fueling her fire. Combining them as one and spreading promises on Ashley's lips that they would never part. Ashley sighed against the blonde's full, plush lips and pulled back. Spencer could see the water that had collected in those warm eyes, threatening to fall, but never pushing past their barrier.

Ashley was fighting.

"It's you and me, baby. Forever," Spencer promised Ashley, lacing their fingers again on the brunette's hip. Ashley looked down and smiled at the sight of them together like that.

"I can't help but believe you, Spencer. Don't make me regret it," Ashley asked her gently.

"Never," Spencer cooed, kissing her again deeply. Their tongues battled, and Ashley forced herself to pull away.

"I love you," the brunette swore.

"I love you, too," Spencer sighed out, tilting her head and then resting against the brunette's lithe, strong frame.

_It's never goodbye for us, Ashley._

"You'll hear from me tomorrow," Ashley said before pulling away, swaying their hands as one before kissing the blonde's forehead and getting in her car. Spencer didn't respond, but blew her lover a kiss as she backed out onto the highway again. Spencer slumped back against her car and then got in once Ashley was out of sight.

Had she not been wrapped up with the brunette to the point her head was spinning, she would have stopped things before they got too far. She would have stopped in time to hide from a familiar Jeep driving by, down the quiet suburban street, on the way home from the grocery store.

Her secret was out. She just didn't know it yet.

**A/N: **So, my plan to finish this story (yes, it's almost over), is to post two per day for the next three days, which will lead up to the finale (Ch. 30) the day after that. So basically, four more days, and this story is one for the history books. I hope you've enjoyed. Ride's not quite over yet, but we're almost there. Let me know what you think!


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

The distance between heartache and anger was a short one for Brooke as she finished her drive home recklessly, looking for signs, or some form of otherworldly existence that would either make sense of what she had just seen or give her a sign to hold on to. What she had just witnessed was almost unrealistic in a sickeningly painful way.

Spencer was cheating.

Spencer enjoyed every bit of that, and Brooke tried to wrap her mind around the last time she and Spencer had kissed like that. The last time Spencer had held her that closely, making it clear that she was all the blonde needed. Brooke closed her eyes after parking her car, resting her head against the warm dashboard.

Spencer had never treated her that way, even when times were good between them. She let out a cry of anger and slammed her fists into the steering wheel, causing the horn to squeak out. She was silently thankful that Erin was at a friend's house. She had dropped the girl there early that morning in hopes that once Spencer got home, they could have alone time to be together. She was going to be spending the night.

However, Brooke knew that their evening of romance and rekindling the old flame had now been snuffed out by a stunning brunette named Ashley Davies. Brooke clenched her jaw and got out of the car, not bothering to take the groceries inside.

She rushed to the living room and sat down on their couch, kicking her feet up onto the coffee table and pulling out her phone, flipping it open and closed in an attempt to relieve some of the anger and tension she felt. Although she wasn't angered easily, when she was, she tended to get slightly irrational.

She knew that Spencer would be home soon, so she would have to hatch the plan in her head quickly. There wasn't enough time to go into specifics, but she knew that she had to at least plant the seed of an idea in someone's head in order to get things into motion.

In two days time, Ashley Davies would be just a bad memory, and Spencer would be hers again. Her fingers wasted no time in blazing over the buttons of a familiar number that she knew well, although she never called it often.

"Hello?" a gruff male voice answered.

"Aiden, hello. It's Brooke," she replied cheerfully. She heard the man cough and squeak out his response, clearly surprised to hear from her and not Spencer. She had never been particularly warm to him in the past, and he couldn't help but feel suspicious as to why she was being so friendly now. Did she know about his mission for Spencer?

"Brooke. Why are you calling me?" Aiden asked defensively on his side of the phone. Brooke smiled and tucked her cell phone between her ear and shoulder, relaxing back against the couch.

"I'm afraid it's business, Aiden. Do you have a moment? We'll have to make this brief," Brooke said kindly, practically able to hear his discomfort at her use of the word "business." Her suspicions had been right – he was in a situation.

"Brief. As in, Spencer's not there, right?" Aiden questioned.

"Not for a few more minutes. I don't know specifics on why you're meeting Spencer, Aiden – but I'm willing to guess that you got yourself in trouble with your dealers again, right? Do you owe some money?" Brooke asked, hoping he would be willing to divulge this information to her.

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Aiden asked, slightly shocked and feeling more nervous by the minute.

"Let's just say I had a hunch. You're always finding money troubles when it comes to supporting your habits. You and Glen both," Brooke said coldly before switching back to her platitudes, not wanting to frighten him away or offend him, since she did need his help.

"Since we're making this brief, I'll ask again – what do you want with me?" Aiden started in again before Brooke hushed him.

"I'm afraid that our darling Spencer has gotten herself into a situation with another woman. This woman is threatening my family, Aiden. Now, I'm willing to pay off whatever debt you've racked off and then some if you take care of her for me," Brooke said, trying to keep things vague while giving him enough information to assess the situation.

Brooke didn't have enough time to go into details, but her pride also didn't want to let Aiden know that Spencer was cheating on her. She couldn't bear the thought of someone laughing at her because she couldn't hold onto her woman.

"You and Erin have been threatened?" Aiden asked, his stomach sinking lower and lower out of sheer horror. His worst nightmare was coming true – Ashley had figured things out and was threatening his daughter. It wasn't beneath her, after all.

"In the worst way. Now, can I rely on your help?" Brooke asked.

Aiden nodded on his end of the phone, his voice getting darker when he replied simply, "Yes. What's the name?"

He asked the question out of necessity, even though he already knew. Mostly, he blamed himself. He knew the dangers that could happen when he asked Spencer for help in his desperation. However, he never thought Ashley would be sharp enough to put all the pieces together.

"Ashley Davies. She's fairly... flamboyant. I get the sense she likes to make a splash wherever she goes. Fancy car – '56 Jag Roadster. Hot girl. She shouldn't be hard to find," Brooke explained briefly.

"You can count on me. I'll make everything right again," Aiden said.

"Fantastic. I will meet you in the park tomorrow at four with your money. How does ten grand sound? Should that cover everything?" Brooke asked, doing her finances in her head to figure out how much her maximum offer could be. Not that it mattered, because she was willing to pay anything in order to keep Spencer.

"That's amazing. Thank you. Don't worry, I'll get rid of her, once and for all," Aiden said before hanging up the phone. Brooke smiled and erased the call history before closing her phone and placing it on the coffee table next to the couch.

"I'm sorry about Ashley, Spencer, but she has to go. I'll make things right with us again, baby. You just need to see that we're meant for each other," Brooke sighed to herself before hearing the front door open.

"Brooke, are you home?" Spencer called as she shut the door behind her. The blonde knew there wouldn't be any proper time to discuss everything with her girlfriend, but she would need to decide the best time after seeing her. She figured dropping the bomb the second she walked in the door wasn't a good idea, but she didn't intend to wait too long.

"I'm in the living room, baby. Just watching some TV," Brooke said, turning on the TV to the first show that came up, "I Love Lucy."

Spencer smiled and walked into the living room, looking at her girlfriend on the couch, feet propped up on the table and watching an old episode of one of Spencer's favorite shows.

"I thought you hated this show," Spencer said with a smirk as Brooke turned her green eyes to face her lover.

"You love it for some reason, so I figured I'd give it more of a shot," Brooke said softly. Spencer walked over to the couch and took a seat next to the brunette, not wanting to get too close since her shoulder was still hurting, but not wanting to clue Brooke in just yet that something was wrong.

"You're sweet," Spencer said with a half-smile. That much wasn't a lie. Brooke really was sweet, and it was because of that fact that Spencer knew hurting her was going to be slightly more difficult.

"I try to be, whenever I can manage," Brooke said, her lips turning into a soft smile before she leaned in to give her girlfriend a kiss. Spencer allowed her to close the distance, but kept the kiss brief. She opened her eyes as soon as Brooke pulled away and smiled happily. The happiness she felt in this moment was slightly tainted now that she knew the real deal with Ashley, but she had to pretend it was something much deeper.

"You manage well, babe," Spencer said, the affectionate term sounding wrong off her mouth now, since it wasn't referencing Ashley. She tried to hide her wince at letting it slip, and succeeded since Brooke was now watching the TV again, chuckling softly as Lucy attempted to drive Ricky's car and smashed it into another car, wrecking it even though she had promised him she'd never drive it while he was at work.

The show went to commercial a few seconds later, and Brooke turned slightly on the couch, facing Spencer and pulling the blonde a little closer.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you – Erin is staying the night at her friend Sophie's tonight. I figured it wouldn't hurt her to have a play date now and again, and it'll give us the perfect opportunity for a night alone," Brooke said, practically baiting Spencer to see how she'd respond.

"Erin could stand to get out of the house more often, and Sophie's a sweet girl," Spencer replied, not mentioning the second part that Brooke brought up.

"Yeah, I also forgot – there's still groceries out in the Jeep that I should get. I'm cooking your favorite tonight. Got all the ingredients - including the secret ones that aren't so secret since I begged your mom to hand them over," Brooke said, placing another kiss on Spencer's full lips that were slightly fuller from her previous kisses. Most people wouldn't notice such a small thing, but since Brooke had seen more than she had ever hoped to see, she knew exactly what was going on.

"Lazy," Spencer purred gently, giving Brooke a playful swat on the arm, desperately trying to remain flirtatious and playful as she batted her long lashes. Brooke grinned and drew her body into Spencer's, increasing the friction between them. She could feel the awkwardness omitted from Spencer and pulled back.

"Are you too tired for tonight, Spencer? Because we can postpone... again," Brooke said, looking into Spencer's almost unnaturally blue eyes.

"I am a bit tired, actually. Would you be terribly hurt if we waited for the full night a little longer? Dinner sounds nice, though – we have a lot to talk about," Spencer said, leaning in and kissing Brooke sensually in hopes to sway the brunette into thinking she meant a talk about something much more positive.

"We can wait as long as you need. It's not like we don't have all the time in the world," Brooke said with a sweet smile before standing up and walking toward the front door. "Besides, you could use more sleep. Something tells me you're not getting enough. All those extra hours of hard work you're putting in," Brooke said, leaning against the door frame to face Spencer as she shifted on the couch.

"Well, the kids really need me. I'm always glad to be there for them. I really love them," Spencer lied, a wistful smile crossing her face.

"I'm sure they do," Brooke said before turning and walking to get the groceries out of her Jeep. Spencer leaned back against the couch and twisted to avoid the still sore marking on her shoulder.

_I'm going to have to be so careful around her now. There's no way she can see Ash's mark on me. I don't even want to think of what she could do if she found out the extent of my relationship with Ashley. That's why I have to let her down easy..._

"Spencer, I don't think there's enough room in the freezer. Can you move the hot pockets out into the garage?" Brooke called from the kitchen. Spencer smiled and got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen, taking out five or six boxes of hot pockets to move to the outside freezer. Erin was in that stage where she was a picky eater, and hot pockets were her newest addiction.

"Sure thing," Spencer said, turning to walk out toward the garage to put the boxes there where there was sure to be enough room.

"Oh, and baby?" Brooke asked before Spencer left the kitchen, locking her eyes onto Spencer with a deep, intense stare that Spencer didn't recognize for a moment.

"Yeah, Brooke?"

"I really missed you today. I'm glad to have you home," Brooke said with a soft smile before going back to putting away groceries. Spencer managed a weak smile in return before taking the hot pocket boxes outside. Spencer put the key in the lock to the freezer and opened it, setting each box inside neatly so there would still be room for more if necessary and then closed the freezer door and locking it again, leaning her back against the side.

_She has a guilt trip only to match my mother's. I don't know if I can do this..._

Spencer sighed and tried to collect herself before walking back into the kitchen. She paused on the first step and scrunched her eyebrows. This wasn't a decision she still had to make. It was a done deal.

_You have to be strong for the woman you love. Nothing else matters._

With that thought brushing through her mind, Spencer finished walking up the last two steps back into her house, closed the back door, and finished her path to the kitchen.

**A/N: **Dun, dun, duh! Brooke's crafty, isn't she? Thanks for the great reviews (now I'm sounding like a broken record), because it _really _means the world. Even though I wrote this story forever ago, it's exciting to know that the story still stands, the characters are relevant, and that it has just as much pull now as it did back then. Writers always worry about longevity, and this was kind of a test for me to see how my old writing compares, to get me back into the writing spirit, if that makes sense. You guys rock. Seriously. And, as promised, there will be two more updates tomorrow!


	27. Chapter Twenty Six

**Special A/N: **I didn't mean to abandon all of you yesterday - this site wouldn't let me upload anything. I tried periodically throughout the day since 8 AM, and no dice. So, there will (technology fails barring) **two **updates coming your way today. Enjoy! And, as always, let me know what you think!**  
><strong>

The scent of spices and vegetables being cooked in the kitchen assaulted Spencer's senses as she found her way back into the well-lit room. Brooke was slaving over the stove for her, a slight droplet of sweat forming at her brow due to hovering over the steam from a skillet. She was taking the time to carefully create Spencer's favorite childhood dish, having gotten the recipe from her mother just a few months back.

She hadn't had the time to make it yet, and Spencer wondered if today was a sort of special occasion she had forgotten about. Not that it would be too hard, she was forgetting things left and right.

Her mind was still with Ashley.

Spencer closed her eyes and breathed in softly and slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself. If she stood just right, she could still smell the scent of Ashley's body wash lingering on her. She could still feel her scent hovering above the fabric of her clothes – the natural perfume of her house all over her from head to toe. Her clothes had been lying on the floor for quite some time.

"I forgot how much you liked it when I cook for you," Brooke said softly, tilting her head to the doorway as Spencer eyes shot open. The blonde forgot her words for a moment and fought to stammer out a reply.

"W-well, it all smells delicious. I don't know why you decided against becoming a chef. You could have had your own show on The Food Network," Spencer said with a forced, yet happy smile. Her stomach was rumbling, and the food did smell really good, after all. Brooke was an excellent cook – no lies needed to be told as far as that was concerned. The other ones, however, were eating her alive.

"I liked taking pictures more. Something about the need to capture people and their emotions. Everything from love to betrayal – they're expressive and beautiful. I couldn't put those types of things into food," Brooke said, pausing a little too long on a word. Spencer caught it immediately, however.

Betrayal.

"I suppose," Spencer said quietly, feeling the pressure leave her shoulders once Brooke turned her jade green eyes back onto the sizzling food on her skillet as she added a dash of seasoning that Spencer didn't recognize. However, at that particular moment, she felt too dirty to ask.

"But no matter – my cooking should be for the one I love, not snobby restauranteurs or TV-obsessed mothers who want to be the next Barefoot Contessa for their slave-driving husband and six worthless children," Brooke said with a hint of humor in her voice that before that was as dry as expensive Sherry. Such tones scared Spencer, even though Brooke rarely showed her temper.

Not even for her most times, but for Erin.

Unfortunately, tonight Erin wouldn't be around to cushion the blow. If she got the guts to tell Brooke about what was going on, Spencer knew that she would get to deal with the brunette's temper in full-force.

"You're sweet," Spencer said, leaning against the door frame with her forearm, balancing gracefully and cocking her left hip to the side, causing her body to arch perfectly in the confined space. This caught Brooke's attention, and the taller girl smiled, licking her lips slightly.

"If I'm so sweet, I think you should come on over here and kiss the cook," Brooke purred with a heartwarming smile, locking her eyes onto Spencer.

_She totally sets me up, every time. How am I supposed to deny that request without letting her know that something isn't right?_

Spencer trotted over to Brooke and placed a gentle hand on Brooke's waist, smiling at her and keeping their eyes fixed on each other, wanting Brooke to think for a second that she was the only one Spencer was capable of seeing in this way.

It usually only took a second to convince her. She had always been easy to convince.

_Showtime, Spencer..._

Spencer tilted her head and lowered her lips to Brooke's as the brunette turned away from the hot stove slightly, moving her hip into Spencer's hand more firmly before capturing Spencer in a heated, needy kiss. Spencer groaned against the kiss slightly, being thrown slightly off-guard by the girl's forwardness and need, but allowed it to continue. Brooke traced Spencer's bottom lip with her tongue, and Spencer opened up to give her the entrance she was practically begging for.

Idly, Spencer let her tongue sweep with Brooke's, eliciting a moan from the other girl as she placed a hand on her own on the blonde.

Spencer pressed her breasts against Brooke's, letting her hips follow as the brunette kissed her hungrily, almost as if she were on the menu for their romantic dinner.

Spencer sighed softly and sucked her girlfriend's tongue into her mouth, keeping the pattern steady for a few seconds longer before breaking away, leaning her forehead against Brooke's and panting softly, their breath mingling between their touching bodies.

"Why'd you stop?" Brooke complained softly, arching an eyebrow.

_Why is she being so insistent?_

"You're going to burn dinner," Spencer said before placing another soft kiss to Brooke's kiss-bruised lips and stepping backwards.

"If I wasn't cooking dinner..." Brooke growled lustfully, her eyes darkening visibly before Spencer's very eyes. That sort of gaze used to turn her on immensely. Now, it paled in comparison to what Ashley could do to her body and bored her.

Spencer knew that she was ruined for any other woman except Ashley, and she didn't mind it. It felt right, and it was perfect. But with Brooke, she still had to pretend. Everything had to be fine in fairy-tale land.

"You'd what?" Spencer teased, pressing her stomach against Brooke's after the girl turned back around, shifting the contents of the pan and turning so they wouldn't burn with a plastic spatula. She set the kitchen utensil down for a second on a glass dish so the juice wouldn't mess up the spotless counter top and moved her hand down to Spencer's jean-clad ass and squeezed.

"I'd fuck you until you couldn't move. Take you right to bed," Brooke promised, her voice swearing low and dark with pure desire that was weighing down the air around them. Spencer only felt suffocated, but she let out a fake gasp to fuel the fire that her girlfriend felt.

She was good at pretend.

Brooke moved her hand away and turned back around to finish up the entree, and Spencer felt relieved.

_Note to self: if there is a next time, pretend she's Ashley. No, wait – then you might say her name. Big drama. _

"You make me wish I wasn't so tired. I swear, I need to work less just so I can have a libido," Spencer said, trying to put as much emotion into her shaky voice as possible, not wanting to spark the slightest hint of doubt in her girlfriend. Once that settled in, it was hard for Brooke to shake it until she was blown miles off the scent.

"Your libido was fine last night," Brooke said pointedly, "then your mother called."

Spencer chuckled at the memory that jumped into her head at Brooke's statement, "She really does have the worst timing."

"At least she gave me this recipe. Which almost makes up for my not getting laid. I remember when she cooked it for us on your birthday – talk about incredible," Brooke said with a half-smile. "I only hope I do it justice."

"If you're talking about doing my mother's cooking justice, you really do need to focus on other things," the blonde replied with a soft chuckle.

"And I would focus on you, baby, but you're too tired," Brooke said, stressing the word to almost ridiculous proportions.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Spencer said, batting her long lashes that were perfectly coated with dark mascara. Brooke smirked slightly and turned off the stove, the steam rising above the skillet and scenting the air with the heavy aroma of rich fragrances. Brooke wrapped her arms around Spencer's waist, almost challenging her to move away.

"You're always sorry. Would you stop apologizing? You could always tell me if something was going on. You know that, right? I'm a logical, rational person who loves you very much, Spencer," Brooke said, wanting to give her lover the opportunity to come clean, although she was almost certain Spencer wouldn't take it.

"Would you stop asking me silly questions like that? It's like you're trying to lead me into something. Well, I can practically see the 'Danger Ahead' signs, and I'm not taking that road, Brooke. Everything is fine. You just need to believe me," Spencer said softly, taking a step back and forcing Brooke to break their practically platonic embrace.

"I love you, Spencer," Brooke said, her voice almost frantic, almost as if she needed to say the statement in case Spencer was dying. The blonde arched an eyebrow – when had things gotten so heavy?

"Brooke... you can't use that as an escape every time things go wrong," Spencer said firmly, trying to keep her voice down to a gentle tone. That was the first time she hadn't said it back, but her confidence was building. It was almost time to stop her lies. She had been swimming in them far too long, and her legs were telling her that treading water was no longer an option. She had to pull the plug. "That's not what those words are for."

Brooke's eyes grew cold all of a sudden, and Spencer felt a shiver run down her spine.

"How would you know what those words are for? I can practically see how hollow they are every time you say them, Spencer. Just like your lies," Brooke said before moving toward the door to the kitchen. "I'm sleeping on the couch. Take what you want from your dinner, and don't bother me."

Spencer leaned back against the kitchen counter, the cold marble digging into her back. For a second, she bumped her raw shoulder and winced, hissing slightly.

Thankfully, Brooke had already stormed out of sight, otherwise that would have only led to another rousing argument that would leave both of them hot, but not in the way most women enjoy.

"How the fuck am I supposed to tell you?" Spencer mumbled quietly in the heavy kitchen silence. Spencer turned and fished a piece of the finished stir-fry and blew on it, cooling it enough so she could eat it without burning her mouth. The vegetables still had some give and a satisfying crunch remaining, and Spencer bit down hard.

That was the only noise she heard, and it was driving her insane.

Usually there were the noises of Brooke and Erin playing, or her and Brooke having quiet conversation. If not words, there was music floating through the air or sounds of Erin rustling upstairs, a toilet flushing, shower running, or slight street traffic when people were getting off work.

Now there was nothing.

Spencer swallowed heavily and felt her eyes glaze over as she cleared the slight steam with her eyes, knowing that she wasn't actually accomplishing anything. It was mind over matter, and she was losing by an amazingly pathetic margin.

Her phone rang, and it seemed to shake the silence and shatter it with the brute strength of a sledgehammer hitting glass. She was visibly shaken as she pulled the buzzing square out of her pocket, glancing at the number before smiling brightly. Ashley.

"Hey, why are you calling me?" Spencer said, keeping her voice low. With the house this silent, it would be hard not to broadcast her conversation, so code was almost necessary to keep everything in check.

"Not happy to hear from me?" Ashley asked, sounding genuinely hurt instead of her usual pointed sarcasm.

"Of course I am! Don't be stupid," Spencer chastised lightly, a wide smile covering her face from ear to ear. It was impossible not to smile with that perfect voice in her ear.

"Good. Tomorrow, you're staying over," Ashley said, her voice dropping an octave to a command. Spencer didn't dare question her, even though she knew full well that Ashley wouldn't be brutal enough to force her into something she couldn't manage. At least, so she suspected.

"Am I? How does that work, exactly?" Spencer asked, genuinely curious as to how this plan of Ashley's was going to plan out.

_Maybe she canceled her meeting! Maybe I'm more important to her now than killing Aiden even though he snubbed her for her money..._

"You tell your little girlfriend what's what, get your adorable little daughter, pack some things, and then come to my house. I'll set Erin's room up tonight, and then you and I will see each other tomorrow evening. Bring a few changes of clothes for the both of you and a couple bags of necessities, and I'll buy you two whatever else you might need within the next couple weeks. You'll never want anything, I promise..." Ashley said softly, her voice laced with truth that made Spencer's heart swell to gigantic proportions.

"So demanding..." Spencer purred. Ashley chuckled softly and Spencer shivered. That laugh was so full of sexual undertones that she couldn't help but get slightly damp. She'd have to keep most of her hormones in check around her daughter.

_How can Erin just be uprooted tomorrow? No, I'll call Sophie's mother and arrange for Erin to stay a while so I can sort everything out. I'll tell her after we're all settled in. She already knows Ashley, so she won't be a complete stranger. And Brooke should be cooled down slightly by then. Maybe a notch. Or half. _

"Actually, why don't we wait to bring Erin? She'll need time to adjust. She can stay with a friend for a little while as we get things packed up and moved in..." Spencer said, practically whispering the last few lines to make sure there was no way they could be heard except for the girl on the other line. Those were the only ears that really mattered, after all. The rest would know in time.

"Sounds wonderful. But as I said, I have a meeting tomorrow evening, so we'll have to start moving you in mid-afternoon. Then, I'll go to my meeting and you can set things up as you need around the house, and once I'm home, we'll retire to our bed for a couple days," Ashley explained.

Spencer could swear her heart was going to explode.

This was still far from over.


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven

Spencer only remembered waking up in bed at 1:30 in the morning, her restless mind soaring as her sleep-ridden eyes tried to figure out the blaring red numbers on her alarm clock.

She didn't remember going to bed, finishing dinner, or telling Brooke anything. She had meant to tell her.

Things had gotten so out of hand – there was no way the discussion would go well. Spencer turned over and half-expected to find Brooke slumbering next to her.

The sheets next to Spencer were cold. She had trained herself to sleep on one side of the bed, never rolling over too far and waking up her girlfriend or stirring her into thinking she wanted more than sleep on some nights when Spencer was completely and utterly not in the mood. She knew there would never be nights like that with Ashley, because no matter what, come Hell or high-water, she would always be in the mood for that girl.

If nothing else, Spencer remembered their fight. A slightly crazed look that blossomed over Brooke's deep green irises and showed her discomfort and anguish before her body fled from the kitchen, promising to sleep on the couch.

Evidently, she had kept this promise. Spencer smoothed her hands over her body underneath the warm sheets on her side. She was dressed in a white tank top and long black yoga pants.

Spencer didn't remember changing, either.

She must have felt the exhaustion of the day overtake her sometime after the brief phone conversation with Ashley and passed out. Everything was a blur – misshapen puzzle pieces wandering in desperation to find their rightful location in the questions of Spencer's mind.

Tonight she had to tell Brooke. Spencer blinked her eyes, only twice before meeting them with soft fists and rubbing gently, pushing and forcing the sleep away. She needed strength now – courage and willpower to continue this discussion.

The blonde knew there was a lot of words left unsaid, and not just since she met Ashley. There were a lot of empty spaces between them for almost seven months, and all forgotten. It was the giant elephant in the room, and nobody even acknowledged it was there. Better just to leave things alone.

Not a healthy way to cultivate a budding relationship, especially when more is expected.

_She won't like the truth. She won't want to hear it, but once it's out – I'm free. Ashley promised me my freedom, and she'll give it to me if I just take one more step in the right direction._

Spencer never doubted Ashley's ability for those tender, yet strong hands to pick locks with the utmost precision and skill. And now, her cage was almost open.

Ashley was her strength as she got out of bed and smoothed out the rumpled fabric of her clothing, trying to make herself look as presentable as possible for early morning. The sun hadn't risen yet, and she remembered that Brooke liked her best in dim lighting or moonlight anyway.

Tonight would be so different.

Brooke would hate her as her blue eyes glistened in their sparsely lit living room. She'd despise the way Spencer's hands wrung together out of pure nervousness while she searched for just the right words to say. Brooke would become infuriated by all Spencer's neuroses that she once swore were "endearing" and "adorable."

Make no mistake, Brooke had a dark side.

Spencer knew that she was about to see just how dark. She walked out of the bedroom door and left it wide open as she trudged down the stairs, one at a time, her bare feet cushioned by the soft carpeting on their stairs before touching down on cool hardwood flooring.

She walked down the long hallway that was feeling more and more like walking the gauntlet with each step until she finally stepped into the living room.

"Brooke?" Spencer whispered softly, almost not having voice enough for a harsh whisper. She almost didn't want to wake the sleeping girl anymore, even now that she was standing no more than five feet away from the couch in the center of the room.

The TV was still on, but the volume was down low, an infomercial for a piece of cooking equipment playing instead of whatever show her girlfriend had fallen asleep to probably hours before.

"I'm awake, Spencer. What do you want?" the girl murmured through a half-sleepy disguise. Even if she was awake now, she hadn't been for long. Spencer placed her hand on the velvet material of their couch and walked around it, taking a seat next to Brooke's feet, hidden under a few blankets and looked into her eyes that were just opening. Slowly, with light flutters of her long lashes, almost like a newborn kitten.

They were sleepy and bloodshot, swollen slightly around the edges from tears. Spencer felt a pang at her heart at the obvious disarray of what was once a beautiful woman that was filled to the brim with happiness, love, and excitement. She could hide from the truth all day, but this was her doing.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Spencer lied, instantly shaking her head. No more lies. "Actually – yes, I did."

"Why do I have the feeling that you're not here to make up?" Brooke grumbled, sitting up against the back of the couch, the blankets falling off of her slightly, revealing that she was still dressed in her day clothes.

"We need to talk," Spencer admitted finally, her eyes glancing down at the carpeting for a moment to gather up her courage and thoughts. They were threatening to escape already, and she needed them now more than ever before.

"Yeah, we really do," Brooke offered, nodding her head in complete agreement. "So talk."

"I don't know where to start," Spencer began, a nervous chuckle falling from her lips that she instantly regretted. In no way was this conversation light and easy, things they were used to.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Brooke said, trying to make things simple. Her eyes only told Spencer that yes, she had been hurt, but she wanted the truth now in hopes to spare herself whatever pain and insanity she was forcing into her head.

"You know where I met her... you were there, too," Spencer continued, finally able to bring her eyes to Brooke's. "Actually, no. I met her the night before. In the alley – that night I told you I had car troubles? Well, I did have car troubles, but she took me back to her place to get some gas. We bumped into each other on accident."

_Is it lying if I don't tell her who Ashley really is? If I don't bring up the situation with Aiden? Because that's just insanity, and she doesn't need to know that. I'll just skip that chapter._

"Ashley?" Brooke offered, remembering the girl's name from her introduction at the park. "I met her at the park with Erin, right?"

_How does she know who it is?_

"Wait. I didn't tell you who it was..." Spencer said.

"You didn't have to. I caught you two kissing down the road when I was coming home from the grocery store. That was a... not so pleasant surprise, especially since I thought you were at work."

"You what?" Spencer said, her heart thudding heavily in her chest as her breathing quickened. So that was what Brooke's sudden temper was about. She knew.

"I didn't stutter, Spencer. Continue," Brooke said, her voice cold and rock-solid, unwavering of any sort of emotion that might seek to comfort Spencer. The blonde was offered nothing but her own thoughts and feelings.

"Brooke, I don't know what else to say..." Spencer admitted, her eyes locking helplessly onto Brooke's that were retaining none more than ice. Ice that Spencer felt contaminate her veins and flood her body with a sickeningly lucid chill.

"You were doing well at telling the truth, Spencer. I think you should stick with that," Brooke suggested, crossing her hands in her lap as she fidgeted against the back of the couch.

"Ashley and I are... together. Brooke, we're in love. I love her," Spencer said, forcing out the words in a strong, steady stream, knowing full-well that she'd never be able to say them otherwise. Brooke looked down and furrowed her brow heavily for a second, then brought her eyes up to Spencer, a loud sigh falling from her lips that were slightly parted as her eyes glimmered with pain.

"Like you love me?" Brooke asked, obviously searching for a comparison. Spencer didn't blame her – she had to feel inadequate and worthless, and Spencer's heart ached for her. Even though she knew her place was no longer with Brooke, she still hated bringing such hurt to another human being.

Especially one she had shared a home, bed, and her body with for two years.

"Brooke, I thought I loved you way more than I actually did, I think. I mean, don't get me wrong – you're an amazing partner. You're giving and sweet, loving, and you've been amazing to both me and Erin. She loves you so much. And I wanted to love you and be your wife – but I can't. The love I feel for Ashley is like nothing I've ever known, and I believe that your place in my heart would be only as a dear friend," Spencer said calmly, pausing to take a shaky breath in between every few sentences, pacing herself to deliver the entire unpracticed, yet sincere and complete speech.

"I never knew you felt that way," Brooke said, her voice becoming hard as a lone tear fell from her eye. Spencer figured that she didn't really notice it, as she didn't brush it away or sniffle. Yet, Spencer almost felt the impulse to brush it away for her, just as she had done many times before.

"Truthfully, I didn't until I met her. Things are so different, Brooke, when I'm with her, and – I think she's the one for me," Spencer replied. "But you will find a girl that is so much better than me, with no baggage, and who will only ever be sweet to you. Who will treat you like you deserve. I'm not worthy of all you've given me, and I certainly don't deserve your friendship. But, maybe someday we can strive for that."

Brooke laughed through her pain and brought her teary eyes to Spencer, holding the blonde's gaze for a split second before forcing them across the dimly lit living room.

"I think right now, friendship is a bit of a stretch. Maybe someday, when these wounds have healed," Brooke said. "I'm gonna sleep down here tonight. I'm sure you want to get your things packed. Unless, you'd rather I move out?"

"No. This is your house. Ashley asked me to move in with her. Erin, too – but we're gonna give her some time at Sophie's house, to adjust to the changes before she starts in a new home," Spencer explained. "I'm going to do some packing in the morning, and Ashley's going to help me move in. She said that I don't have to take much – she'll buy me the rest of the necessities, so anything I leave behind, feel free to sell or keep if you want it."

Brooke said nothing, just stared blankly. The silence was deafening, crushing Spencer to where she sat like a leaden weight, pressing down on her shoulders, making her bones ache and her palms sweat from the exertion of attempts to keep afloat. Whoever said the truth would set you free, in that moment, Spencer was convinced was a dirty liar. Just like she was.

"I'm going to get most of Erin's things together tonight, and take some of it to Ashley's. She'll need some things for her little vacation."

"Of course. This neighborhood you're moving into – it's safe?" Brooke asked, finally breaking the silence, and arching an eyebrow. "She's not going to be a bad influence for Erin?"

"Of course not. Ashley would never do anything to hurt me or Erin," Spencer said, trying to sound one-hundred percent positive, even though her heart rate picked up slightly at the question.

_I don't think she would – she says she loves me. How could she?_

"Good, because Erin still is like my daughter – I wouldn't want anything to happen to her. You know that," Brooke said strongly, her voice becoming protective instantly. Spencer smiled and rested her hand lightly over Brooke's.

"I know, and I promise that you can still come hang out with her and take her to the park – all those things. There's no way I could take you out of her life," Spencer promised.

"I'm glad to hear that, because I have a feeling it would hurt even more than losing you," Brooke confessed, the sincerity flashing through her eyes and startling Spencer momentarily before she took another steady breath and stood up, walking behind the couch again.

"This went... much better than I expected," Spencer said, tracing her fingertips lightly along the pattern on their couch.

"For one of us, sure. If you say so. Now, I'm really tired..." Brooke said, yawning as soon as she mentioned her evident exhaustion. Spencer smirked and then turned, walking toward the doorway before looking back over her shoulder.

"Sweet dreams, okay?" Spencer requested before running upstairs back to her bedroom, determined to become well-rested for a long day ahead.

"There's no way I can now," Brooke grumbled in response to Spencer's request. She turned the still humming TV off and shut her eyes, feeling slightly relaxed in complete darkness as her body stirred under the blankets. She reached across the couch to the end table and flipped open her phone, calling Aiden.

There was no answer, so she left a message:

"Aiden, it's Brooke – we need to talk about tomorrow. Meet me a half-hour earlier than we planned today, and don't be late," Brooke said before slamming her phone closed.

"Maybe I don't want you dead, Davies, but you're going to learn a lesson..." Brooke growled before turning onto her side and letting sleep finally whisk her off into relaxation.

**A/N: **So, I know you are all speculating about the outcome. It's going to be a hell of a ride. I'm not giving anything away, but the pieces are (slowly) falling into place. As always, your reviews are wonderful. I love to hear them, and would love to hear more. Thanks again! You all have been so great.


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight

The bright afternoon sunlight burned into her eyes, and even though she knew it was surrounding her, she struggled to see her new beginning. However, as she stood on her front porch and breathed the clean, outdoor air, she knew that it was waiting for her. Spencer felt at peace, and she was certain that the day couldn't have possibly been more beautiful.

She had spent all morning packing.

Spencer moved her four suitcases of random clothes, shoes, and necessary items into the trunk of her car, loading it carefully so nothing would break in the drive to Ashley's.

The trees blew in the breeze, and she could hear every sway of the heavy branches. She smiled as the sunlight kissed her face – this was what it felt like to be alive. Freedom was something that people too commonly took for granted, and Spencer knew that she would never do such a thing again. She had been guilty of it for too long. Living was not a thing to regret, for each breath was a blessing in its own way.

_I finally have everything I've ever wanted._

Until now, she had been convinced that happy ending and a serene lifestyle only existed in TV Land, but now she was starting to see some semblance of the happy ending she had been dreaming of since she was a little girl. Granted, the groom looked a little different, but she couldn't have been more in love.

_I'm going to end up getting a speeding ticket on my way there, because all I want is for her to be kissing me right now. Well, kissing me and leading me to her bed..._

Spencer felt her smile literally brighten as a surge of heat ran through her body at the mere thought of being touched and kissed again by her brunette lover. Ashley certainly knew how to make a girl feel wanted, after all, and Spencer had already been without her for too long.

As her nimble hands closed the trunk, Spencer was cued to the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her. She turned around and saw Brooke standing there with a final bag of Spencer's things that she had forgotten inside and meant to go back for. Her eyes were slightly teary, but Spencer could see that she was trying to be as strong as possible.

"This should be small enough to go into the backseat," Brooke said, her hand grazing Spencer's as the bag passed from one girl's hand to the others'.

"That's the rest of Erin's stuff, right? I honestly didn't know I was going to end up packing this much," Spencer said with an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, it's the kid's. The house is really fucking empty now. It's creeping me out a little bit," Brooke said with a weak chuckle. "I'm really gonna miss you two."

"You'll see Erin a lot, okay? I promise," Spencer said, resting her free hand on Brooke's shoulder. She felt the girl flinch and then took it away, looking into her eyes with the apology written in her baby blues so she wouldn't have to say the words aloud. She was almost sure that Brooke was sick of hearing them.

"You're going to keep that promise?" Brooke said, arching an eyebrow. Spencer would have normally frowned and scolded her, but it was a legitimate question now, giving how many promises she had broken.

"I am," Spencer replied softly, needing the other girl to know that she was completely sincere.

"Good, because she and I still have to go rollerblading together in the park. Don't want either of us getting rusty," Brooke said, placing a hand on her hip and looking down at the concrete.

_I feel like I'm breaking her heart all over again..._

"Definitely not – Erin needs those outings with you. I'm pretty sure that you're one of her favorite people. Maybe even higher up than me," Spencer said with a laugh. Brooke laughed softly as well, even though Spencer could tell it was painful for her. She was at least trying, which was more than Spencer would have ever guessed for their odd situation.

"She and I are pals. I just wish..." Brooke started to say before Spencer cut her off, knowing full well the thought she was threatening to finish. She didn't want her to say those last words, for fear her heart would shatter as well. Spencer knew that this decision, though necessary, had been rash – and she hadn't really let things settle in, especially where Erin was concerned.

This would all be really hard for her, more so since she loved Brooke, but Spencer figured that she would adjust eventually since she was so young. Not to mention, she had gotten along really well with Ashley when they first met.

"Please don't," Spencer asked softly, keeping a gentle politeness in her tone. Brooke nodded and glanced back up at Spencer, their eyes meeting for a split second before both girls darted their gaze away, almost like two opposite forces suddenly joining in an unexpected collision and bouncing off each other. It was more powerful than either girl had wanted it to be.

"You're right. This isn't the time or the place. We shouldn't really get into that discussion anymore, it's not right," Brooke said in a jumbled mess of words that Spencer would have known the meaning of even if the sound had been muted.

It was clear from the look on Brooke's face. Spencer pressed her hand to the brunette's cheek and raised her face slightly, giving her a gentle smile. This time, the girl didn't flinch, so Spencer decided to say her peace.

"You are... amazing. Any girl is going to be so lucky to be with you. It hurts now, I'm sure – but in time, you're going to be glad you didn't end up with me. I've got more problems than solutions, and you desperately need those solutions to stay happy and healthy. But thank you for being wonderful," Spencer said in the softest, sweetest voice she could manage.

For once, she actually told the truth.

"I hope Ashley can find the solutions to your problems, Spencer," Brooke said once the blonde dropped her hand. She managed her first real smile since their arugment the night before, and Spencer returned it.

"You know what? I hope so, too. I really do," Spencer replied with a wistful look in her eye. Brooke wrapped her arms around the blonde and pulled her into a hug. Spencer fell into Brooke's arms, letting the brunette hold her close one more time, and breathed in the fresh scent of Brooke's body wash and laundry detergent.

"Have a nice life, Spencer. You deserve it," Brooke whispered into her ear. Spencer kissed the girl's cheek and allowed herself to stay in the embrace long enough to return her response.

"I hope you find all the happiness in the world, Brooke."

They broke a few minutes later, and Spencer threw the last bag into the back seat of her Mini Cooper and walked around the side, to the driver's seat.

Brooke took a couple steps backwards as Spencer got in and waved slightly when she started the engine. A lone tear fell down the girl's face, and Spencer didn't see it, but she felt the teardrop on her heart as she pulled out of the driveway for what would probably be the last time.

As Brooke watched her car disappear from sight, she retrieved her cell from her right pocket and dialed Aiden's number. This time, he picked up.

"Listen, it's Brooke. Can you come by the house now? We need to have a serious discussion," Brooke said after she heard his sleepy greeting. Lazy as always, he had been sleeping in.

"Sure, just give me a few minutes to get dressed, and I'll be right over. Found enough money to pay the bus fare," Aiden said, twirling two crumpled dollar bills between his fingers on his side of the conversation. Brooke chuckled and then said her goodbyes before shutting her phone. She walked back to the porch and sat down on the swing as the breeze ruffled her hair.

Whatever happened now, she knew she was going to make the right decision.

Spencer knew the way to Ashley's by heart, and each time she turned and got closer, she could feel her heart racing.

Finally, she pulled into the new driveway and smiled when Ashley rushed out to greet her. Her tight black jeans clung perfectly to her slender form and she pulled a clean gray tank top over her head as she sprinted out the door. Spencer smiled – she must have just gotten out of the shower since her makeup was new and her sparkling auburn curls were damp.

Ashley picked Spencer up in her strong arms and spun her around before setting her down and wrapping her arms around the blonde's small frame.

Spencer rested her head on Ashley's shoulder and breathed her in, inhaling the cinnamon and spicy scent of Ashley like it was a drug. This was the kind of drug she wouldn't mind being addicted to, for she was sure she already was.

"God, I've missed you..." Spencer whispered into the brunette's ear.

"I can't believe you're here," Ashley replied, pulling back and keeping her hands on Spencer's hips, not wanting to place too much of a distance between their bodies. Ashley threaded her fingers through the belt loops of Spencer's faded jeans and fit her hands between the waist of Spencer's pants and the hem of her baby blue tank top. Ashley's lips graced over Spencer's collarbone before the blonde pulled her up for a long, passionate kiss.

Hands moved languidly over each others' bodies as tongues explored, picking up the pace from where their last kiss left off. Ashley groaned and sighed into the kiss as Spencer moved her hips forward, one of her knees fallng between Ashley's semi-parted legs, fitting her perfectly.

Ashley moaned softly and swirled the tip of her tongue against Spencer's, making her blonde lover shiver with delight. Their hearts pounded in sync as oxygen became an issue, forcing them to part. Ashley rested her forehead on Spencer's, placing a closed-mouth kiss on Spencer's lips as they worked to catch their breaths.

"I love you," Spencer panted out as her arms encircled Ashley's waist completely.

"I love you, too," Ashley returned immediately and without hesitation. "You're here earlier than I would have expected."

"I couldn't wait. I packed everything so quickly, I probably forgot a lot, but does it really matter?" Spencer murmured, opening her eyes to stare and drown in Ashley's chocolate eyes.

"Nothing matters except you and me, Spencer. That's all that's ever mattered. Now, why aren't you kissing me?" Ashley asked before pulling Spencer's lips to hers again for another slower, deeper kiss that kept escalating with passion every second. Spencer's hand moved to cup Ashley's face and Ashley undulated her hips into Spencer's body, not shy to show the blonde that this was all she needed.

The fact that they were outside and anyone could see them wasn't even relevant. Hiding was no longer a necessity or even an option – they were free.

After the kiss broke again, Ashley moved back slightly, never letting Spencer break the contact of their arms around each other, but moving their lips far apart so they could actually speak without being close enough to want to connect again, even though they both still wanted to be kissing. They had to actually say words sometimes.

"Shall we get you moved in?" Ashley asked with a devious smile. Spencer smiled back and nodded.

_I don't think I could possibly love her more in this moment. At least, until the next time she kisses me. And every time after that..._

Ashley opened the trunk after Spencer unlocked it and grabbed two of the heaviest suitcases with ease, wrapping her small hands around the handle and lifting them to her front door.

"You know, there are wheels on those things. You can pull them," Spencer called, getting slightly distracted by Ashley's rippling muscles as she exerted herself.

"I got it, babe," Ashley assured her as she set one down to open the screen door and then carried them both in. Spencer grabbed the two lighter ones and then closed the trunk, locking her car, and following Ashley inside the house. The door slammed shut behind her, and Spencer set the rest of her luggage in the foyer, looking around for Ashley.

"Ash?"

"In the bedroom, Spencer," Ashley called from upstairs.

_That girl moves quickly..._

Spencer walked up the stairs and turned the corner to walk into Ashley's room. Ashley was sitting on the edge of her bed and smiled the instant Spencer entered the room.

"This room is much more beautiful with you in it," Ashley stated plainly, her eyes wandering over Spencer's sleek, sun-kissed body for a second with her dark eyes that were more full of love than they had been the previous day they were in this room together.

Then, Spencer had only caught wind of severe lust – it had grown since then. Spencer knew Ashley wanted her, but you can't disguise love in your eyes if it's not there. Ashley really did love her, and Spencer could do nothing more than smile at the realization. She walked over to the bed and took a seat next to Ashley and placed a hand on the girl's knee, tracing her fingertips lightly over the denim. "So, how does it feel?"

Spencer paused for a moment before brushing her lips against Ashley's, causing the brunette to give her an award-winning smile, "It feels like home."

"I always want this to be your home, Spencer. Yours and Erin's. I know it seems soon, but I can't help but think there's a right moment for everything, and this is mine... ours..." Ashley said before sliding off the edge of the bed and getting on one knee before Spencer. Her hand brushed under the comforter on the bed without breaking her eye contact with Spencer as she retrieved a blood-red ring box.

_Oh, fuck – she's going to ask me to marry her..._

"It's right, Spencer. You and me. So please, would you give me the world and be my wife?" Ashley said, keeping her speech simple since her voice was breaking. She opened the box with a shaky hand and exposed a platinum ring with ivy circling the band in raised metal, perfectly round sapphires spread all around the ring in equal patterns, covering every empty space on the band.

It was simple, perfect, and breathtaking. Spencer felt a tear drop down her cheek, and Ashley instantly brushed it away, leaning forward the kiss the path that the tear took for a short moment.

"Yes."

No more words were said as Ashley slid the ring onto Spencer's finger and Spencer pulled Ashley back onto the bed with her, tossing the box aside as Ashley settled into her rightful place on top of Spencer.

Meanwhile, Aiden finally showed up at Brooke's house to find her waiting on the porch. She looked surprisingly serene, but he still felt the need to approach quietly.

"Where's Spencer?" Aiden asked, looking for Spencer's car.

"She moved out. Sit," Brooke commanded softly as Aiden walked up onto the porch and took a seat on the railing across from Brooke. "It's about our deal."

"I'm ready for it, Brooke. I mean, at first, I was little iffy, because that's murder but..." Aiden started to say, heavily wading into his lie before Brooke cut him off. Truthfully, he was excited. Killing Ashley Davies would finally free him from all his problems. Spencer would be safe, Erin would be safe, Brooke would be happy, and he'd be alive.

"I'll give you the money you need to pay off your dealer, but you don't owe me anything. Consider it a gesture of good faith – as long as you quit. I think everyone deserves a second chance at life," Brooke said, handing him a small bag with the money she promised him inside.

"So, you don't want me to off her?" Aiden asked, his disappointment leaking into his voice. Brooke didn't notice, but she nodded.

"It was an irrational decision. I think Spencer is really safe with her. I think they really love each other, and who the fuck am I to stand in the way of that? Who are we?" Brooke said with conviction in her voice as she locked her gaze onto the boy who was now struggling just to balance on the railing.

"I gotcha," Aiden said before standing up and clutching the bag of money to his chest. "Pleasure doin' business, I suppose."

"Don't mess up your life, Aiden. Take it for everything you have. No more mistakes," Brooke called after him as he started to walk away. Once he was out of sight, he looked inside the bag and felt his heart jump at the sight of neatly bundled green bills. His freedom.

"Yeah, well – I'm a rich man. I can pay her off... but sometimes...you gotta do things for your friends," Aiden said quietly to himself, Glen's face flashing through his mind as he pressed his hand to the hidden pistol that was secured inside the waistband of his pants.

He looked to the sky and knew that sunset would be coming soon. He had to go see a girl.

**A/N: **So... what are we thinking? Brooke's not a monster, Ashley and Spencer are engaged, Aiden is quite possibly batshit insane. And there are only two more chapters left! One of which will be posted this evening. Let me know! Also, thank you _all _for the reviews. You have cheered me up, made me laugh, made me smile, and made me guilty for writing such a damn depressing story in turn, so thank you. Really. Thank you.


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine

**This is pretty NSFW. Also, surprise appearances by two (possibly) beloved SON characters at the end. Blink and you might miss it. But, they play an important role. Thanks again!  
><strong>

"God, Ashley – I need you inside me so bad," Spencer whimpered as her fiance's hips rocked against hers. They had been kissing for what seemed like eternity, and despite their insane desire for each other, hadn't gotten as far as they would have originally guessed.

Ashley's hands were roaming Spencer's naked torso after throwing her bra to the floor, her fingertips instantly finding a set of erect nipples that could probably cut glass. Ashley smoothed one with her palm, pressing down lightly and causing Spencer to moan, her head falling into the crook of Ashley's neck as her hands reached blindly to find the bottom of Ashley's tank top.

The blonde's hands fumbled over Ashley's warm skin, tracing over her curves and fluttering fingertips over every inch of smooth skin and hard muscle.

Spencer kissed random patterns over Ashley's jawline and neck as her head rested against her lover while Ashley continued to lavish her breasts with gentle attention. Dark eyes wandered over her exposed skin, and Spencer caught her gazing, fighting to speak through panting breaths and moans.

She was quickly losing control.

"Like what you see?" Spencer forced out before Ashley claimed her lips, teasingly sucking Spencer's bottom lip in between her own as the blonde rocked and writhed beneath her. Spencer finally caught her hands on the hem of Ashley's tank and stripped it slowly off the brunette's body, exposing inch by inch of her tanned, soft skin.

Spencer pulled Ashley back down to her after she tossed the shirt aside and whimpered at the feel of warm skin against her bare chest.

"I love everything about you, Spencer. What I see, what I feel...everything," Ashley said softly, pressing her mouth against the smooth expanse of skin that Spencer was showing her as their bodies moved against the other, finding a rhythm through their kisses that worked with them.

Spencer sighed out with defeat when Ashley momentarily abandoned her lips, dropping lower to her chest and nuzzling one of Spencer's breasts before kissing over the top of it and finding a needy nipple, sucking it between her lips and then lavishing it with her tongue. Spencer gasped and shot her hands down to Ashley's head, keeping her lover against her breast, not wanting to release, even for another intoxicating kiss.

Ashley continued to suck and nip at Spencer's breast, switching from one to the other and keeping her girl incredibly aroused, increasing the heat and wetness between Spencer's thighs.

_She has to be the best lover anyone could ask for..._

Ashley pulled back on Spencer's nipple, licking and then flickering her tongue over an already damp nipple as fast as she could, stretching out her tongue for what would surely be other activities that Spencer hoped would take place much lower on her over-heated body.

"Ash, baby..." Spencer groaned out, grabbing a fistful of Ashley's soft locks whenever the girl tried to pull away from her breasts. Spencer arched her back, coming up off the bed and giving Ashley more of her. Ashley sighed and placed gentle kisses all over Spencer's chest, dotting them with loving kisses and whispering against the blonde's skin just how much she was loved and adored.

Spencer felt perfect in that moment, and knew that this would be her forever.

"No more teasing, baby? You've had enough?" Ashley asked, her voice cooing in Spencer's ear as she slid up the girl's body, placing her hands on Spencer's hips. Spencer took this moment to wrap her arms around Ashley's back, finding the clasp of her black bra and undoing it with ease, slipping it over Ashley's toned arms before tossing it to the floor, not caring where it landed as long as it was out of play.

"I just want you, Ashley," Spencer sighed, looking up into Ashley's dark brown eyes that were close to black now, the pupils heavily dilated in her desire and arousal. Ashley panted softly, looking down at Spencer and locking their intense gaze, never wanting to break it.

"I love you so much, Spencer. I always will," Ashley promised before capturing Spencer in a slow, tender kiss. Spencer weaved her hands through Ashley's hair and pulled her closer, bringing her in again and again with gentle sweeps of her tongue, not wanting to break their contact as Ashley's breasts and hard nipples collided with her own. Ashley moved up as they kissed, rocking their bodies against each other and forming a beautiful mixture of sweat and friction as their nipples rolled over each other while stomachs pressed into their mate's and tongues dueled for dominance over what may have been the most intense either girl had ever known.

Ashley's hands dropped gracefully to the button on Spencer's jeans, and Spencer sat slightly up against the headboard, her body slightly distanced from her fiance's so Ashley could work on the button and zip. She got them both undone with ease and kept her gaze on the new parts of Spencer that were being revealed.

Even though they had been intimate before, this was their first time to explore and truly be together without anyone else involved. They were in love, together, and engaged – there was nothing more.

Spencer felt Ashley's mouth drop from hers to kiss down her body, gently lapping at Spencer's breasts and between them, down her stomach where she nipped and licked a couple more times, causing Spencer's hips to rocket up.

Ashley groaned at her girlfriend's need and licked her lips approvingly as Spencer's jeans were slowly stripped off her long legs and thrown across the room and onto the floor.

"You have to be the most beautiful woman that has ever walked the planet," Ashley told her in a rough voice, smoothing her soft, yet delicately calloused hands over Spencer's inner thighs, cupping her silk covered center that was soaked with her arousal. Ashley whimpered and looked up into Spencer's eyes, and the blonde grinned at her knowingly – that was the effect only Ashley could have on her body, after all.

"Here I thought I was being touched by the most beautiful woman that has ever walked the planet," Spencer replied with an adorable head tilt, triggering her blonde hair to cascade over honeyed shoulders and making Ashley's sweat-stained brow drip from the heat of their almost naked bodies. The brunette gulped and tried to wet her lips, completely hypnotized by the beauty of her bride to be.

"You'd be wrong," Ashley whispered before kissing over Spencer's hipbones, covering the blonde's breasts with her small hands once more and kneading gently. She fully intended to worship every inch of her body, making her feel brand new. That's what she wanted, after all – a new start. A new life.

"God, Ashley. I need to see you, baby. I need to see you.." Spencer begged as Ashley moved up to slightly straddle her hips. Ashley's hands moved to the button of her pants, but Spencer was quick to pause her movements. Full lips upturned into a devlish smile, and Spencer spoke to continue. "Let me."

Ashley dropped her hands to her sides, letting Spencer have the honors as her fingers blazed over the button and zip of her jeans, shedding them from her body and hurling them across the room. They must have flown out the doorway, since Ashley didn't even hear their light landing.

Spencer tugged possessively on her hips and began to lick along the bone there, tracing its beautifully sculpted "V" shape that her hipbones created before moving upwards to lavish her chiseled stomach with much-needed attention.

"Fuck, Spencer..." Ashley gasped, feeling her girlfriend's talented mouth work over the sensitive skin that was almost close enough to be on her own dripping core. "Baby, we'll have time for this later. I want this time to be all for you. Can I do that?"

Spencer pulled her mouth away from Ashley reluctantly and looked into her lover's eyes. She saw the need there, and she knew at that moment that Ashley was asking for so much more than sex.

She was asking to complete her – to finally put those old demons of her past to rest. Spencer knew her mouth couldn't form words if they tried, so she simply moaned softly and nodded her head, allowing Ashley to rest her back on the bed, laying flat on her back before the brunette stripped off her black boy short panties, exposing her dripping center to Spencer's hungry eyes.

_What a tease..._

Spencer sighed and reached out for her, and Ashley clamored back on the bed, parting Spencer's legs with her strong hands before sliding off the blonde's thong, not wasting any more time.

It was clear that Ashley needed this sort of connection just as much as Spencer did, and she would not be denied. Ashley kissed Spencer from her ankles, all the way up to her knees, and then started to feather the softest, sweetest kisses on her inner thighs, moaning and sighing every time she felt Spencer's body quiver in reaction.

Spencer opened her legs further, allowing Ashley to lay more comfortably between them. Ashley moved forward, understanding the silent signals her lover was sending to her and kissed Spencer at the apex of her thighs, greeting her and giving her time to breath so not to surprise her when she took things a step further.

Ashley's plush lips connected next with Spencer's swollen clit, kissing gently over the bundle of nerves that pulsed against her, begging, before taking mercy on her fiance and sucking the hardened bud between her lips. Spencer groaned loudly, near screams now, and brought her hand to the back of Ashley's head once more as her girl settled down fully on her stomach.

Ashley licked and sucked, alternating between hard and soft, slow and fast, moving her tongue over every inch of Spencer's sensitive core before ducking down and lapping at the sweet nectar she had created since their first kiss in her driveway.

Spencer bucked up again, and Ashley got a fuller, sweeter mouthful of Spencer's essence. Lazily, Spencer stroked through Ashley's tousled curls, urging her on as the burning desire in the pit of her stomach kept building, signaling to her that when her climax hit, it would hit harder than anything she had ever experienced.

"Fingers, Ashley...please..." Spencer begged, her body swaying and moving, bowing off the back of the bed and pleading with Ashley to take her beyond anything she had ever known before that moment. Ashley knowingly slipped two of her long, slender fingers inside Spencer's hot core and growled against her lover's inner thigh, continuing to lick and suck at her clit, bringing Spencer higher and higher. Spencer's inner muscles clenched at Ashley's fingers, sucking them deeper into her.

Ashley balanced herself carefully, muscles flexing as she sped up her pace inside the blonde girl – she knew she couldn't hold out much longer. Her fingers searched inside Spencer and she curled them upwards, finding the spot she knew would make Spencer see stars.

And she did. Spencer rocked and shivered, quaking powerfully, her screams only broken grunts, groans, and various vowel sounds as she gave every inch of herself to Ashley. Ashley helped her ride it out, catching a needed glimpse of perfect blue eyes as Spencer fell hard over the edge.

"You are so beautiful when you come," Ashley told her after she knew Spencer was trying to revive.

She pulled her fingers out and Spencer groaned, catching a glimpse of her juices coating Ashley's fingers. Her hand wrapped around the brunette's wrist and she pulled the slender digits to her own mouth, taking a taste and then kissing Ashley deeply once she rose to her girl's side, where she belonged. Spencer collapsed into her strong arms, and Ashley kissed her sweaty forehead, their bodies clinging to each other. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Spencer said sleepily. Ashley looked out the window. Sunrise was barely a half-hour away. Spencer yawned and looked at her with wide blue eyes despite the fatigue and satisfaction within her perfectly colored irises. "Don't go."

_She has to stay with me. She has to..._

Ashley smiled and pulled Spencer into her arms, letting the girl rest. She stayed there no longer than it took Spencer to fall asleep. With any luck, she'd be home and back in bed before the girl ever realized she was gone.

Quietly, Ashley carefully slid out from underneath Spencer, careful not to make a sound, and gathered her clothes. She pulled her trusty knife and .45 from her underwear drawer and carefully concealed them on her toned body. She shrugged on her leather jacket, opened the door, and slipped out into the night before Spencer even knew the difference.

When Spencer finally did wake, the sun was setting. She felt a chill overtake her when she realized that she was alone. Alone, naked, and in a cold bed without Ashley next to her. She had never promised to stay, but Spencer had been hopeful that she wouldn't leave.

The blonde jumped out of bed and gathered up her clothes, throwing them on her body and rushing out the front door, hardly taking the time to breathe.

_I have to save her. I have to go to her... my love. My Ashley._

Spencer tugged her shoes on as she ran to her car, unlocking it as she ran and moving to get into the driver's seat. She didn't even know where she was going. She knew Ashley wouldn't answer her cell phone even if she tried calling. She was a businesswoman, and she wouldn't take calls during her "meetings."

Not for the world. Not even for her.

Spencer looked out onto the empty street in front of Ashley's house and was nearly blinded when a pair of bright headlights shone into her eyes. Not Ashley.

A Hispanic looking brunette drove up in an older model of Dodge Charger that had seen better days and Spencer approached the car. Another brunette was sitting next to her, and Spencer noticed that she was stroking the driver under her skirt. She couldn't help but blush.

"Can I help you with something?" Spencer asked, approaching the two women in the car carefully – she had no idea what kind of people would randomly show up at Ashley's house. She doubted Ashley was the type of girl who would throw a big barbeque to celebrate their engagement and give Spencer a chance to meet all of her friends.

"Better question, chica – who the fuck are you?" the driver asked, tossing her wavy brown hair behind her shoulders and sending Spencer an evil glare.

"I live here. What do you want?"

"I come on business. Ashley hires us once a week to satisfy her itch. Got a new girl that needs to be broken in, and I figured she'd want to do the honors," the girl said, motioning to the girl who was still rubbing between her legs and evidently not doing a very good job, since the first girl seemed to be almost completely unfazed by the attention. "Ease up, Kyla, it's not like you're trying to rub out a stain. Jesus, don't you masturbate?"

"Sorry, Madison..." the girl said, lowering her head and getting underneath where she sat, moving her head into the Latina's lap to switch things up a bit.

"Good girl. You're better with your mouth anyway," Madison said as she forcefully pressed the girl's head to her center. Spencer winced and then kept eye-contact with the angry Latina.

"You're whores," Spencer commented.

"Good guess, blondie. Now where's Ashley?" Madison said, shifting in her seat so it would be easier for the other girl to perform her task up to par with her seemingly high standards. The Latina gasped lightly and then grinned at Spencer.

"Out on business, and my name's Spencer. I'm her girlfriend, so she won't be needing your services," Spencer said strongly, knowing that there was no way any whore would do something to someone that Ashley cared about. She didn't know much about Ashley's "business," but she knew enough to understand that she had quite a bit of power.

"Spencer... wait, you're the baby Carlin, aren't you? She's fucking you?" Madison said, seeming shocked. Kyla tried to speak, and Madison shoved her head back down.

"Is that your business, and yes, I'm a Carlin," Spencer said, completely confused.

"I worked for your brother once. He had... problems," Madison said, motioning to her lap. "Poor thing."

_I so didn't need to know that about Glen..._

"I'm actually looking for Ashley. Would you tell me where she conducts her business?" Spencer said, knowing that it was a long shot. Madison smirked at her and chuckled.

"Pick an alley, blondie. She always picks a different one. But, she usually stays on the ones on side-streets," Madison explained quickly, her breath starting to come shorter as the other girl kept working between her legs.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Spencer said, the relief washing over her as she scampered back to her car.

"Would you answer me something really quick?" Madison called after her before she could jump in the driver's seat.

"What?" Spencer said, exasperated. She didn't have time to mess around.

"Why the fuck would you want to be sharin' a bed with the bitch that plugged your brother?"

**A/N: **Don't hate me for the cliffhanger! But, the final chapter will be posted tomorrow morning, and you'll have all your answers.


	31. Finale

**Here it is, everyone. The finale. The last hurrah. I leave you only with this: hang on to your hats. Also, thank you so much. For everything. You've brought life back into this story, and I appreciate every single one of you for doing so. **

_That night in the diner, he had been so scared. Aiden assured me that she was a killer, and I didn't want to believe him. I thought he was being over-dramatic. I didn't even know her, and I didn't want to believe that someone could have such low regard for human life. I never wanted to believe she'd end someone's life, but she did – my brother's. She took my brother because he couldn't pay up. That's her business and she'll take Aiden, too..._

Spencer started up her engine and slammed the car door shut. Madison waved after her, calling wildly and waving her arm.

"Hey, bitch! You didn't answer my fucking question!"

But Spencer was long gone. She was burning rubber, soaring through the paved streets and filthy highway, and the ground was practically smoking as her tire treads passed over the asphalt. She knew there was a high chance that she'd get a speeding ticket before she got to where Ashley and Aiden were, but she didn't care. A cop stopped her, and she'd punch him out.

_I don't know if I want to save her life or finish it myself... I'll have to look into those eyes to know..._

If Spencer had her way, not another drop of innocent blood would be spilled, but that wasn't how the city worked. It was a hungry creature, and it fed off of crime. Each drop that was spilled did something to sate its hunger, to keep the balance.

Glen had been a sacrifice to the city long ago, and now it was threatening to take something from her again – either her sanity or the life of Aiden, the father to her only child or Ashley, her fiance and true love. As Spencer got into the bright city lighting, she felt her heart freeze for a moment, stalling on the accelerator.

Did love really exist? Or was it just a cruel joke that gives you a fleeting moment of happiness before the next great thing comes and steals it away.

Ashley could very well have been her third love – after Aiden and Brooke. They both had been big parts of her life, and each was bumped down the line and demoted for the "next best thing." It never lasted long, and it was commonly bittersweet. True love was more than likely a horrible joke meant to plaster Hallmark cards during the repulsive commercial holidays. Spencer felt her hands grip the wheel so tight, she thought she would shatter her own bones as she continued to drive through the city.

She wasn't looking for any tell-tale sign like in the movies. She was waiting to see Ashley's car carefully stowed on a side-street or hear gunshot. That would be the sign that her valiant efforts had been worthless, just like many other things she had tried to avoid in her life.

But at least it would be something.

It couldn't have been harder to spot, that black Jaguar, tucked into a corner with only the back bumper highlighted by a flickering streetlight.

Spencer sighed.

She had probably passed it six times already, searching all these back alleys for a sign of anything, even human life. Eerily enough, there was none of either until this particular time around. Spencer hoped that meant that she was coming not too long after Ashley, but she figured that was too good to be true. She had never been known for having good luck or timing.

Spencer spun her car around, winding it into the smallest corner possible. It was set-up easily for a getaway, and also wouldn't have the possibility of being towed, since she wasn't exactly in a parking space. However, Spencer doubted that the LAPD even knew about these side streets until someone reported something here that they'd need to check out. Something like a body.

Spencer breathed in the dusky air around her and glanced to the sky. Her beacon, sunset, was already faded.

The sun had gone down and not everything around her was cold, the life sucked out of the world and forcing it down underneath the powerful hand of something much, much larger – expelling it to desolation and darkness. Spencer was void of anything except anger, but her heart was beating fast. She knew she wasn't numb. Her shoulder was stinging, and she entertained the thought for a brief moment that maybe Ashley's mark was trying to deliver a message that her love couldn't bring her.

_Maybe it's supposed to tell me that she loves me. That I'm hers for a reason. Or maybe she's just dead..._

Spencer's shoes clacked along the sidewalk as she rushed briskly into the alley, hoping to stumble upon a scene that she could somehow avoid just by her being there.

She would walk into the alley and save both Ashley and Aiden – not be too late, as her dream had predicted. She wouldn't see a drop of blood spilled, and she wouldn't have to take any of her own. Dreams are there for a reason, and with her last shred of hope, Spencer decided that hers was meant to be cautionary.

The disclaimer in a fairy tale.

You could only have a happy ending if you fought for it, after all.

_Happy endings aren't just tacked on because it provides closure. Life is open-ended and ridiculously short. I'd be a fool to think otherwise._

Spencer was just about to walk around the corner, keeping her body close to a dirty brick wall when her phone erupted in a loud, annoying ringtone. She checked the caller – Brooke. Her heart sank, but she answered, figuring that it would have to be at least semi-important for Brooke to call her now.

"Hello?" Spencer asked as she opened up her phone.

"I went to get Erin. She's going to stay with me tonight, and then we're going to take that bag you packed for her, the stuff you didn't take, so she can stay with her friend Sophie for a week or so – like we discussed last night. I wanted to just double-check with you to make sure it's okay," Brooke said softly, running the entire plan by Spencer quickly, but not quickly enough for the blonde, who was on a very tight schedule.

"I trust you with her, it's fine. Tell Mrs. Carroll I say hello when you drop Erin off tomorrow," Spencer said, her parent side acting up for a few moments, but not long enough to take her mind from Ashley and what she needed to be doing.

"I've got it covered, Spence. Are you okay?" Brooke asked, her voice dropping slightly from concern. Spencer shook her head – more lies.

"Couldn't be happier. Thank you, and we'll talk... later," Spencer said before closing her phone sharply, not even giving the other girl a chance to reply. Spencer jogged down the alley and stopped cold in her tracks. Voices. Conversation. Just like last time, in her dream.

"Good evening, Aiden. I'm glad you could make it," Ashley said, leaning against a brick wall, her hands digging slightly into the brick as she threw a cigarette butt to the ground and stomped it out with the toe of one of her combat boots. The smoke still filled the air and almost acted as a sort of tarnished halo for her, a visual illusion from the way the rings floated around her face.

"You were the one who made cocksure I would be, if I remember correctly," Aiden grumbled, keeping his distance across the narrow alley. His posture was slightly slumped, and his shirt was dirty. A bag rested at his feet, and Ashley raked her eyes over it for a moment, tilting her head to the side and furrowing her brow before looking into his eyes.

"Feisty, Dennison. When the fuck did you grow a pair?" Ashley drawled, her body curving against the wall as she pushed off, her boots slamming softly onto the pavement as she took a few steps closer to him. He twitched and shivered, and a low laugh fell from her lips. "Easy, boy. We're just talkin'."

"I've had 'a pair' longer than you might be willing to admit. I'm more of a man than you know," Aiden said, his voice getting slightly louder from anger. Ashley smiled and dropped her eyes to the bag again, popping the collar on her leather jacket and squaring her shoulders off.

She took another step forward. So did he.

"Let's not discuss your manhood, yeah? You've got my money, don't you? Pay the fuck up, pretty boy," Ashley said, resting a hand on her hip.

"I've got your money. But first, I think we need to have a little talk," Aiden said, looking her over for a second. She seemed calm enough – relaxed. But he knew all too well that with her, looks were always deceiving.

Ashley chuckled darkly before her face turned cold, dropping to complete seriousness, "Dennison, as much as I'm sure I'd love to hear your pathetic life story, I come for my money. The only conversation you and I got time for is if we're making new deals on your next purchase. I've got some goods in the trunk, if you're interested, but if not – I got shit to do."

"You mean girls to do? Word on the street is that you haven't collected from Madison and the girls in a couple days. Settled down?" Aiden asked, crossing his arms across his broad chest.

"Like I said, we're not discussing things that aren't my money or when you're paying me next. Now, hand over your fee, and we'll be done here. Be glad I didn't add another hundred or two for handling your bullshit. I normally don't give extended deadlines," Ashley said, crossing her own arms to mimic him.

She took a step closer, and he followed suit. Their eyes locked in an intense stare-down, and she tried to sniff out his fear. Ashley was usually good at detecting such things, but she was shocked and slightly unsettled to know that this time, for whatever reason, there was none.

"Money's in the bag. Five hundred even. Exactly what I owe you," Aiden said, kicking the bag across the alley to Ashley. She smiled and picked it up, looking inside for a moment to make sure it wasn't empty. Since it wasn't, she analyzed the number of bills that appeared to be in the bag and made a quick guess as to whether it seemed like the right amount.

"Looks good, Dennison. But when I count it, if you're off by even a dollar, we'll be seeing each other again. Pleasure doing business, as always," Ashley said, pulling the handle into her small hand and dropping the bag to her side, keeping her grip there and her eyes on him. He ran a hand through his hair and nodded. She turned her back and started to walk out of the alley, but he cleared his throat. "What the fuck, Dennison? There's more?"

His eyes, previously cast up on the ground, looked up at Ashley. Where she normally saw fear and confusion, remnants of a mind that wasn't completely active and alert, worn down by drugs, there was something different now. Aiden was surrounded by an air of quiet confidence that got Ashley's stomach turning with anxiety. That was not supposed to happen.

"I was just wondering how Spencer's doing. She know you're here?"

"You been spying on me, you shitbag?" Ashley said, turning around and dropping the bag on the ground. Anxiety shifted quickly to anger, and the money spilled out the side slightly as it fell open. Her eyes grew darker and wide with rage.

"No. Let's just say me and Spencer... we go way back," Aiden said softly, his eyes betraying the memories in his head.

"How'd you know her?"

"Ever wonder where she got that cute little kid from? See, you think I'm not a man, Ashley, but I seem to be man enough to knock up your girl. She liked it once, before you," Aiden said with a smirk on his face. Ashley's nostrils flared and her body grew tense, sharp – like a knife.

"Fuck you, stop talking," she said, her voice dropping low and growling across the dirty alley.

Behind the column, Spencer thought about jumping out and making everything right, but her feet were glued to the ground. She couldn't move. She had to know – did Ashley really love her? Could she love her?

"After you threatened me, I called her up," Aiden continued, "from a fucking payphone. She drove her sweet ass out just to see me, to talk. Poor thing hasn't been the same since you killed her brother. Did that ever ring a bell to you, Ashley? That Glen was Spencer's brother?"

Spencer felt her body contract, and she knew she was going to be sick. She ran back a couple steps so they wouldn't hear her vomit as she emptied the contents of her stomach into a trash can.

"No fucking way... stop it, Dennison," Ashley said again, more menacingly this time.

"No way, you have to hear the best part. I asked her to save my life. I asked her to seduce you, to make you fall in love with her – so maybe you'd grow a heart and forgive someone just because they've shortchanged you once. Did it feel good, when she said those words? She's really good at saying them, you know. She's been fooling her girlfriend with them for years," Aiden continued. "Did she win?"

"Fuck you..." Ashley said, her eyes starting to burn with the fresh sting of tears. She dropped to her knees in the alley and felt her heart break.

_Spencer didn't mean it..._

"You love her, don't you?"

"Aiden, stop..." Ashley said through gritted teeth.

"I told her what you were, Ashley. She knew from the beginning. She may have given you her body, but you never touched her heart. She wanted to get rid of the monster you are, just like I do... for Glen," Aiden said, pulling the gun out of the waistband of his pants.

Her eyes fell on the ground as tears silently rolled down her face. She remembered for a moment, just how Spencer smelled – how she tasted, and how she felt. She would take that laugh and that smile with her to the grave.

"Do it," she said, finally raising her dark eyes to his cold blue ones. "For Spencer..."

Her last words were a whisper before he pulled the trigger. The bullet went through, clean as a whistle, expelling the last traces of Ashley Davies all over the pavement behind her. Drops of blood fell onto the green bills in the bag, and her body fell to the ground, a fresh puddle of blood spilling out from the back of her head. It was hard to see how bad the injury was from the position she was laying in – flat on her back, auburn curls splayed behind her. You'd never know the back of her head was missing.

Spencer heard the gunshot and wiped the back of her mouth, rushing into the alley. She didn't know what she expected to see, but her shoulder was throbbing, and she knew she was too late to save someone's life. She saw the white smoke from Aiden's gun as she turned the corner and looked for Ashley.

Her eyes took in the bigger picture, and she saw her laying on the ground, eyes wide open and blood flowing down the slight hill of the alley and pooling at her feet.

She was dead.

An inhuman, banshee scream left Spencer's lips as she ran over to Ashley, crouching next to her body and pulling it into her arms, careful to avoid the back of her head. Ashley's blood coated Spencer's jeans, ruining them, but she didn't care. Spencer looked down into Ashley's eyes that were finally cold and then looked up at Aiden. She could taste the dripping mascara on her lips and knew she must have looked a mess.

"Spencer...what the fuck are you doing here?" Aiden asked, throwing his gun on the ground and watching in horror as Spencer cradled Ashley's lifeless body like a small child. Spencer wasn't even looking at him, she was looking into Ashley's eyes. When she couldn't bear to look any longer, she brushed a gentle hand over Ashley's face, closing them and placed a soft kiss on the girl's lifeless lips that were slowly fading to a deep purple.

"I came to save her, Aiden... I love her..."

Aiden felt his heart stop beating in that moment. It wasn't a game.

Spencer's arms shivered and tightened around the girl, and he knew that there was no way she was going to let go.

"She killed your brother, Spencer. She slit his throat because he couldn't pay. I found him..." Aiden said, tears rolling down his face as his voice cracked in pain.

"I don't care what she's done. Sins can be forgiven. But you... you just wanted to bathe in her blood money, you sick fuck," Spencer accused, sobbing into the lifeless shoulder of her love. "I was going to marry her, Aiden. I moved in with her today, and she was going to be my family... and now you took her away from me."

"Spencer..."

Spencer smoothed out Ashley's wrinkled clothes as the tears finally stopped falling down her face. She couldn't cry any more. She would be crying for the rest of her life, and she knew that for now, she had to regain some composure.

"How could you spend the rest of your life with a murderer? She's a cold-blooded killer, and she'd never stop, not for anyone," Aiden told her, trying his best to explain even though the words coming out of his mouth were practically muted to Spencer. Dull and muted.

"You're a killer, too, Aiden. What does that even mean?" Spencer screamed at the top of her lungs, knowing that it was a safe bet that no one would hear her.

"I can't change it," Aiden said, wringing his hands in front of him.

"No, but you can rot in hell," Spencer said, the sudden realization of what had to happen now finally clearing up in her mind. She felt over Ashley's body and found the gun tucked in her waistband. She had never shot a gun before in her life, but he was close enough that it wouldn't matter. Before he could respond, she pulled it out, unsheathing the metal barrel and aiming it in the center of his forehead.

She looked down and pulled the trigger, always avoiding his eyes. Too much like Erin's.

The bullet dislodged with a solid, clean pop, and Spencer heard his body thud a second later. His blood flowed the opposite direction, and she was glad. His blood would never mix with hers.

Spencer took the gun and tucked it into the waistband of her own pants, looking down at Ashley one last time. While Spencer wasn't too familiar with the workings of Ashley's kingdom, she knew that it likely wasn't safe to go to a funeral for her fallen love. Given Ashley's solitary lifestyle, there probably wouldn't be one, nor would she have wanted one. People would mourn her in silence, and Spencer would carry her always within her heart. Aiden would likely have some sort of service, but Spencer would rather die than attend, to watch people regale him as a lost soul when Spencer had seen the traces of the real monster he was underneath the facade just moments before.

She placed her lover on the ground and locked her image into her mind one last time, she noticed that Ashley's hand brushed the "A" on her shoulder, causing the throbbing to stop.

_I'll always belong to you, Ashley Davies..._

"I love you," Spencer said to her fiance, standing up and leaving Ashley's body in the alley. She gathered up the bloodstained money, Ashley's blood money, clutched it to her chest, and walked out of the alley.

And the rain fell over the streets of Los Angeles, washing everything away.

**The End.**


	32. Epilogue

**This probably won't fix everything, but it _might _ease some of the hurt. This is the epilogue. Enjoy.  
><strong>

_10 Years Later..._

"Ma! I'm heading out to Joey's, okay?" a voice called as random boxes and drawers were slammed around in the kitchen. Spencer rolled her eyes and leaned back in her easy chair, putting down the new novel she had started earlier that day. To pass the time, she had made a goal to read one book every week in order to keep her sanity. The years had passed so slowly since her life had been stolen from her – back when she was still, in her opinion, only a child. To most, twenty-six was hardly adulthood, but back then, she considered herself to be one of the most mature people she knew despite her many issues.

Even though times were hard, she realized that now she truly was an adult. Tragedy had forced her hand and made her grow up, through the tears and pain. Not even for herself, but for Erin, her spunky sixteen year old daughter. Most days, she hardly even remembered, but every time she closed her eyes she heard the gunshot, felt the rain on her skin, and awoke to a strange pulse in her shoulder from a familiar scar that would always be her favorite.

Erin needed a mother, and Spencer knew that even though she had suffered the worst of any loss she could have dreamed up, she had to be a mother. After getting over her heartbreak and problems, she became one that all the other little girls were jealous of. Even though she and Erin had their fights and problems, both knew that they wouldn't be anything without each other.

"Be home by 11," Spencer directed her daughter once she saw the raven-haired girl enter the living room. Erin's bright blue eyes sparkled mischievously, and Spencer's face remained stony, letting her daughter know there would be no compromise here – her rules were law, and she ran a strict, yet liberal and understanding household. They lived alone, just the two of them, as Spencer had never been able to enter another relationship after the loss of her fiance. Her Ashley.

Erin knew bits and pieces of the story, but never all of it. It was too windy and complicated for her to understand, and she didn't even remember Ashley or her biological father, anyway. Spencer knew, however, that the memories, though subdued, rested somewhat on Erin's subconscious as the young teenager assured her mother that she would never smoke – something about chastising a young girl in the park when she was six or seven. Spencer remembered that day, how Ashley had found her and kept her safe while she and her ex-fiance, Brooke, had wandered around like crazy fools looking for her. Her daughter had never lost her edge or penchant for shock value.

"But mom, Joey's leaving in a week to visit her dad in Barcelona. She's going to be all the way in Europe, and I'm going to miss her terribly," Erin said, her blue eyes starting to form tears at the mere thought of being left alone for a week, even though she was one of the most popular girls in school and had many friends, guys and girls. Joey was her girlfriend, and they had been together for almost a year. Spencer was a bit wary of her daughter being in a serious relationship at such a young age, especially since she had just come out as a lesbian. But Joey was a sweet girl, with a pair of smoky brown eyes and thick auburn curls that Spencer remembered stealing her own heart when she was young.

Joey was Erin's Ashley Davies, minus the danger and rough road to tow. She came from a good family, and honestly cared about her daughter. That much was clear.

Spencer couldn't deny her the chance to find happiness, because even though it was all gone now except for Erin, who was very much the only sunshine in her life, she didn't have much of her own. The only thing other than her daughter that even came remotely close to touching her heart were the memories and occasional dreams that kept her warm at night.

She was comforted by the fact that these dreams, and sometimes a touch or shiver she'd feel in the breeze cemented her suspicions that Ashley had kept her promise; even in death, that they'd never be apart. Ashley was always watching.

Spencer heard the break in Erin's voice and felt a sharp pull at her heartstrings.

"11:30, love. No later, okay? That's the best I can do," Spencer said, her dim blue eyes that used to be much bluer in pictures softening at her daughter's impassioned argument that she related to all too well. She never wanted to leave Ashley's side, either.

Erin lept into her mother's arms and hugged the blonde tightly in her easy chair, giving her a kiss on the forehead and smiling widely, almost to the point of giddyness. Spencer returned the smile, softly, and inhaled her daughter's musky, tomboyish scent.

Erin was still very feminine, with long legs, a lean figure, and choppy black hair, just above her shoulders that was smooth as silk and perfectly straight. Her skin was lightly tanned, and her childish freckles still dotted the bridge of her nose and high cheekbones. Her chiseled jawline gave her a slightly boyish look, and long lashes that carefully covered oceanic blue eyes intense enough to rival the ocean's hue were enough to stop anyone in their tracks. Erin gave her mother a signature dimpled grin that was lopsided, much like her own, and swayed back on her heels.

She loved to skateboard and do "boy sports," and her mother sighed at the keen awkwardness of the simplicity and beauty that her daughter had retained. Despite her disconnection at times, the years had been good to her.

"I'll be good, okay? I promise," Erin said, shoving her hands into the tight, ripped jeans she wore.

"I trust you. Give Joey my best," Spencer said with a knowing grin. They were very much in love, and there wasn't too much about their relationship that she questioned, but she never asked for details. Knowing how she was during her younger years rested on her conscience enough, and she wasn't ready for the nitty-gritty discussions. She was only glad that her daughter's lesbianism meant that she couldn't get pregnant as she had done when she was too young to really raise a child. Spencer agreed that it was better to know early than to make a mistake and realize things later in life.

Whenever Erin looked at Joey, Spencer was slammed back ten years in the past and saw the way she was with Ashley, every touch, every glance. That was enough to let her know what 'the real thing' encompassed. She could never judge Erin for that. Quite the contrary, she tried to do everything she could to keep them together within reason, so Erin would never have to experience heartbreak as she had, in a much higher dosage than she felt the human condition could really allow. Even after ten years, the wounds had merely scarred, still pink and raised from the intense damage. Her heart would never fully heal.

"I will, Mom," Erin said, giving her mother another soft kiss on the forehead. She grabbed some snacks and shoved them into a black duffel bag she carried, with video games and roller-blades, the essentials for a date or hanging out and headed out the door. Spencer heard her car's engine start and sighed when she pulled out of the driveway. A few moments later, she got a text from her daughter saying simply: _Love you, mom._

Rather than yell at her daughter for texting and driving, Spencer sighed happily.

That love was all she had, and more than enough to complete her life. That was partly why she never looked for a new companion – she knew there was no one else. Erin would be all she needed other than Ashley's spirit that often visited her in the early mornings or on lazy days when she was alone and nostalgic.

The years had been good to Ashley, too. Ashley was lost in her mid twenties, where Spencer was getting closer to forty every day, and even though she didn't look it completely, there were wrinkles and "frown lines" on her face that hadn't been there ten years ago. Her eyes weren't as bright with the innocence of youth, and her voice, she thought, had gotten naturally lower in pitch due to the intense strain on her throat from so many years of crying.

Two things, however – two pieces of Ashley that she had would always remain the same, never fading. The scar on her back always held fond memories to her, and the ring on her wedding finger was her solemn promise to belong to a dead girl forever.

Some people would say that she needed to move on, and some had, but she merely took their advice with a grain of salt.

She knew that she could never love again after Ashley was taken from her in the most untimely of ways, and she didn't plan to. Ashley's blood money started a college fund for her daughter, after Spencer realized that the only way to keep it was to use it for an unselfish thing. Ashley had re-written her will at the last minute so her estate and luxuries, such as her car, went to Spencer and Erin as well.

Spencer still kept her job teaching piano, except she made more money now along with her preschool job. Every month since Ashley's death, she added a few hundred dollars to Erin's college fund, and by the time she would need to tap into it, there would be more than enough to pay for all four years at a fairly good school.

Spencer was hoping she'd stay close by.

She leaned back in her chair, starting to doze off when she heard a rustling noise behind her. Always paranoid of people breaking into the house, not knowing that Ashley didn't live there anymore, Spencer jumped up, reaching for a gun that she kept in the end table drawer closest to her chair. She wasn't the biggest fan of guns, ever since the incident, but this one was Ashley's... and she knew that it would never do a thing to harm her, only protect.

"Spencer, baby... you know I don't like guns. Put it down," a soft voice commanded, raspy and smooth all at the same time. Spencer did as she was told without looking up, and then saw a strong figure approaching her. Auburn curls bounced around her shoulders, and soulful brown eyes peered into her own. "Did Erin go off to see Joey?"

Spencer breathed out, her heart racing... Ashley was home.

"Yeah. I told her she had to be home by 11, though. No worries," Spencer said, standing up to greet her fallen lover.

"Our daughter's a good girl. I trust her," Ashley said confidently, nodding her head. "They're cute together... like we were."

"Are," Spencer breathed. "Are."

Ashley chuckled softly, her hands crossed over her small chest, "Are, then."

"God, I've missed you," Spencer said, knowing these words were a complete understatement, but not being able to find any other words to take their place. Ashley moved into her quietly, wrapping her arms around Spencer's waist. The blonde felt a chill, but didn't question it. Ashley was home.

"I know, baby," Ashley murmured into her ear, lazily dropping kisses onto Spencer's neck. "Still smell like you always did. Like home."

Spencer chuckled, the tears dripping down her face like the rainiest nights in LA. Ashley looked at her for a moment, tilted her head, and began the loving process of wiping the tears away.

"I'm sorry, it's just..." Spencer said, trying to apologize for being such a baby.

"Spencer, please don't. We only have a short amount of time. Don't want to waste it," Ashley said, easing her lips to Spencer's.

"Before Erin gets home?" Spencer asked, her mind dizzy with the first contact she'd had in years.

"Somethin' like that," Ashley cooed, pressing her lips insistently to her lover's again. Spencer's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. Their hips collided together, hands tracing skin that neither had felt in such a long time. Moans dropped from both of their lips as tongues met in the middle, searching, wanting, needing.

"Ashley, I love you," Spencer sighed, pulling back from the kiss and resting her lips on Ashley's strong shoulder. The brunette sighed as well, placing both hands on the small of Spencer's back, drawing the blonde in further.

"I love you, too, Spencer. I always will," Ashley swore.

"I've been faithful to you, Ash. Completely. I couldn't move on... I won't," Spencer said, shaking her head wildly back and forth, as if she needed to prove her love somehow.

"Hush, babe. I know," Ashley said quietly. "I've been watching, looking out for you and our daughter. You really think I'd abandon my family?"

"Never. You promised," Spencer said quietly, her voice small and meek. Ashley leaned in and kissed her once more.

"I did," Ashley replied, drawing Spencer in for a series of long, slow kisses, their passion for each other rising. "But don't you think you should at least consider moving on, so you're not lonely? I watch you mope around the house, tired... so tired."

"I don't want to! You can't make me!" Spencer practically yelled, hitting Ashley's shoulders with the palms of her hands weakly, getting enraged with a fit of sorrow.

"All right, all right," Ashley said gently. "I can't make up your mind for you. I never have been able to."

This time, Spencer initiated the kiss, pressing her lips to Ashley's with more reason and passion that their first had contained. Ashley moaned against Spencer, gripping at her hips, longing to feel the things she knew she really shouldn't.

"We really don't have much time," Ashley said sadly. Spencer nodded her head and smirked after a through crossed her mind.

"Then let's not waste this reunion. Take me to bed," Spencer asked, pushing her body against Ashley's.

The brunette smirked and smiled fully, making Spencer's knees go visibly weak. Spencer grabbed Ashley's hand and led her lover up the stairs, into their old bedroom.

Spencer knew there was a chance she may be crazy. Ashley had been in the ground for 10 years.

But somehow, this spiritual projection of her lover was good enough to maybe heal the wounds completely, even if she wouldn't be there in the morning.

**That was, officially, the end of this story. Thank you all again. You've been wonderful. **


End file.
